Depths
by Nightwingess
Summary: DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN THESE CHARACTERS This is an ongoing story of the events that follow Depths. How did Tula die, what are Kaldur and Artemis doing on their mission, what discoveries has Dick made about the partner and what the Light is after? How do the others like Wally, Zatanna, and the various freshmen play a role in the Light's larger plan? Read and find out...
1. Aftermath

"We're through the hard part, they're in." Dick said with a tone of uncertainty, the words were uttered only to assure himself as he knew what Wally would say, what Wally was feeling.

"Who are you kidding?" The redhead spoke hushed and with a sense of anger that Dick had been afraid of all along… "It only gets more dangerous from here." Dick looked away not wanting to admit Wally was right. Of course he was…Dick saw the mission as just that, it was a task at hand and those involved were the members with their own duties to perform. The four of them were a team…a secret team going under and taking down the bad guys in ways far more dangerous than any of them was comfortable with.

Wally saw it as the woman he loved risking her life for something he wanted her to leave behind.

It was that thought that annoyed Dick; Artemis wanted to stay a hero, she wanted to be the fighter, to protect the innocent, to make her life worthwhile. She gave it up for Wally…at Wally's request and the two faded out of his life, at least in that aspect, that of a hero.

"She wants this." Dick said without thinking, instantly regretting his words. He backed off from the edge of the building and started to turn out, to jump down, to run away before Wally could do anything. He felt Wally's hand pulling at his collar, snapping him back. He started falling to the ground. Normally he would have swerved and used his momentum to move upward but in the midst of falling he saw Wally's face, his eyes red and watery and he knew he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Does she?" Wally came closer to his friend, fists clenched and paled from the lack of blood.

"Wally…" Dick didn't have the words, the mental focus, or even the calmness to explain himself…to take back what he said…to prevent what was about to happen. He knew what Wally's was thinking, all his feelings over Artemis' near death the last mission, with Tula, finding her bleeding, broken behind the ice block Tula had placed to keep her body protected from the explosion.

"Did you hold her," Wally began, "all those nights she woke up screaming, screaming Tula's name, begging her not to go?" Wally's fist went up for a brief moment, hanging there in the air, in the night, ready to strike but the expression of Dick's face made him pull it down and turn over to look at the water where she had disappeared, into the depths of the ocean.

"She saw it all Dick. We could feel Tula fade but Artemis…she felt it, lived it. That ice…she could see through it all and…she watched Tula…burn." He pushed his hands into his pockets; his eyes seemed to be diving into the water, following a signal no one but he could hear, following it to her, trying to reach her…to be with her.

"I know." Dick finally managed to speak. Tula's last thoughts were with them all, M'gann link…but it was Artemis who witnessed it, Artemis who nearly died…and…

"I know you care." Wally said as if trying to comfort his friend but his voice betrayed him, it came out unpleasant, unforgiving…he could only stay as calm as the feeling of her hand in his…holding him…without it he could easily become reckless.

"I do." Dick knew what Wally really meant and he was ashamed. They hadn't spoken of it in a long time. It came as no surprise that Wally brought it up now, now that Artemis was so far away from him. Everyone from the original team was well aware that Wally had been equally traumatized as Artemis had been by the events leading to Tula's death, but unlike Artemis, he had never fully recovered from it. Kaldur pressed on after his loss being the Atlas, that figure of the group that continued on his virtuous ways and it was that ideology of hope and faith….of belief…it spread to Artemis who healed from it. She and Kaldur grew close in their way and she could move on from that horrible day because of Kaldur. Wally however, could not.

The image of Artemis, twisted, distorted, a corpse for all intensive purposes…it was an image that seemed to stay with him every moment he wasn't with her, and only because having her with him he could see the image was a lie, a memory…

Then there was Dick, in all that had happened, when the link was finally broken it was too late. His thoughts of Artemis as he tried to reach her were felt by them all, although overlooked by most. It seemed as though they were buried under everything, all the screaming, crying, begging of that day, but it wasn't. Wally remembered, remembered feeling Dick's pain that matched Wally's…he knew…

"I'm going home now." Wally seemed to say to the sea, and entirely without emotion. He patted his friend's shoulder, a touch he hoped would wash away all the residual anger he had as he remembered his friend, his best friend _cared_. He knew he did not want to put her in danger as much as he had not wanted her to go. It soothed him in a twisted way known to a lover fearing for his love.

"Wally…are we okay?"

"We're best friends, we always will be...in the end." He let go of his friend and started down the stairs of the building, he could hear Dick behind him saying "I'll keep her safe."

Wally whispered, "I know."

…

He didn't want to head back to the cave, he didn't want to explain Wally's reaction because it was an account of lies, a form of imagination in it's darkest sense. He could parade the emotions, torture his teammates feelings with Wally's accusatory yells, Wally falling to his knees…Wally devastated.

He knew it would break their hearts so he had resolved to take only one motion. To shake his head and be done with it, they knew that Dick was close with Artemis and Wally and the idea of telling of the other's death had it's own brand of torture to it. That would be enough, one movement, shaking his head and it would be done, they'd leave him alone. But not Wally…he had to add the words "Give him space."

But what of the others? The shaking, the disbelief that she was really gone…

How could he explain that to M'gann, Conner…Tim who saw her as a sister now as he did, or…

"Damn it." He couldn't be contemplating his feelings for her now. Those had been feelings he'd battled for the last two years having grown up with her, having walked the halls of Gotham academy with his arm slung over her shoulder, pulling at her ponytail, teasing her…at first she'd push him away, then she grew to enjoy the little troll and the friendship that became after that, a bond, a trust. Had she known who he was? Of course there was always the possibility, the sense she had with each cackle he let out, she had to have known.

"She's my best friend." One of many Dick had told himself, it was only natural. Two teens having chosen the life of a hero, both living in Gotham, going to the same school, on the same team, without reservation, what could stop them from becoming so close?

Like brother and sister. That in itself was the team…a family. One night had changed that, one night, one fight, and she was at his door, the door of Wayne manor that is. She was a regular there after the first few years, as was Babs and Bette, all the Batkids, eventually Tim and now Stephanie…what was once Jason.

The fight…that's what it had been about _Jason_. Dick was angry at Bruce for reasons he couldn't understand. Jason, the boy who took the mantle for such a brief time, at it angered him…not to be replaced…no, the idea that Bruce would always require a robin. At first it made sense, he would always need a Robin, that whimsy only the songbird could give to a brooding Bat…but Jason was a different character, a broken boy in a way very unlike Dick. His death reminded Dick of life choices, what it meant to be a hero…

"That's why I screamed her name." He tried to convince himself…the screaming could easily be explained by an act, but he knew there was more to it. He found himself rationalizing it as repressed emotions over Jason, Jason's death…Artemis lying there…that's where the emotion had come from. Right?

But no, he knew better, and recalled that night when Bruce had stormed out of the manor and Dick was alone with Alfred who could not console him. He soon found the blonde waiting at his doorstep with box of sourpatch kids.

He eagerly welcomed her in; she passed him the candy with a throw that hit his head, intentionally making him laugh. They'd sat down to talk, she'd patted his head, made a few quips, had him smiling again. Why hadn't he called Wally? Or Babs? They were his best friends too, they could be here just as easily as Artemis could and still…he called her first. That's when he should have known, that's when he should have realized he'd fallen for her…or maybe…

"Damn it." He hated the word "fallen" and it made him cringe and shake. He looked back up at the stars and sighed. It took a few hours more for him to get it, to understand. It wasn't until she was fast asleep on his couch, it wasn't until his head leaned into her, staring at her lops, touching her face, wondering what it felt like to have the petal like lips upon his own…that he knew…and still he allowed himself to touch hers, a sleep beauty who only twitched at the touch, the kiss…unaware of his actions.

He's kissed his best friend's girlfriend and seconds later he regretted it. Why did he always make things hard for himself? There was no love like that of Artemis and Wally, they were like his own parents, perfect in everywhere together, two pieces fitting brilliantly, the couple that made skeptics believe in soul-mates…and still…here he was…kissing her.

"Damn it." All he did was ruin things, ruin his own little family as he had accused Bruce of not caring enough, of not worrying about his wards and the life he brought them into…he'd hit a nerve with Bruce and that had sent him off. Thank God Artemis was asleep, thank God he hadn't tried while she was awake…he wouldn't have been able to…to look into her eyes and kiss his best friend? His best friend dating his other best friend and to betray a third best friend in that, Babs who he didn't know what to feel…his life came down to lines crossing one another.

Now, here he was looking over the water, worrying for both her and Kaldur, Kaldur the valiant, the brave, Artemis…he knew…he loved her that much was true. But was he in love with her? Or the idea, the notion of love…being in love with love more so than the actual person…

"Damn it."

…

Kent nestled on his owner's lap, saddened in way as he absorbed all the depression Wally felt. Wally patted the dog and smiled. He had always wanted a dog but his mother was allergic. Artemis picked Kent out, she named him after the first man to propose the two of them, Wally and Artemis…the speedster and the archer, were meant to be.

"I owe you." He said aloud. Although he did not believe in the afterlife, he did belief Kent Nelson could hear him, could know and…and maybe even have his spirit watch over her somehow…

"Love makes you stupid," Wally said as he pulled his dog up to look into his eyes, "You start believing in things you would never believe in…like angels…" He wanted her to have an angel, an angel to watch over her, protect her; he wanted to be that angel. At a younger age the thought was laughable, now…it broke his heart…and he was never that guy…that is until Artemis came along.

"I'm a sap." He meant to make himself laugh but his voice cracked and he held the dog close to him, it was their baby, this dog…he didn't want to let him go. He walked over to their bedroom and laid down on their bed, keeping their puppy close and pushing his head into the pillow for a long needed sleep. He opened his eyes and grabbed her pillow, pushed it to his face and inhaled her scent. There's a power with smell, a sense often taken for granted…but if anything it was the strongest of all senses, it was the memory inducer…and if one were to close their eyes, they could smell the memory to the point of seeing it.

He could see her now, wearing her black cami, with her red Stanford sweatpants, her hair in a messy bun, eyes showing all the signs of intense sleep deprivation and her hands typing furiously on the computer.

"She's beautiful." He said into the pillow. The muffled sound of his voice reminded him he was not living this…it was just a memory. He left the pillow go, and tucked it under his head wanting to smell her for the rest of the night.

He didn't want to think of what tomorrow would bring, all the mourners giving him condolences…he hoped Dick would tell them he wanted space, to keep them away from all the people that loved her, who would say her name and make him believe she was gone. Only four people knew she wasn't. Two were away and one would never say, if he wasn't careful he might give in to the illusion that she was really gone.

"But I'd feel it." He rolled his eyes as he said it but he knew it was true. If Artemis were to…die…he'd know before anyone else, he'd know because that's what it means to be soul-mates. It means being the one person one's soul can connect with a level untouched by others, a level where one can feel things, see things others miss. Like a mother and a child, two people connected…if one holds that connection it lasts forever…but it make that connection with someone who is not of one's blood, there…soul-mates…

"In a nutshell." He laughed quietly as he wasn't a poet and to get in depth with all his feelings of her would be a long headache, a very long headache. He wanted to keep it simple. She's the _one_ and everyone one else who disagreed could go to hell.

He rolled over on his back, Kent already asleep at his side, big surprise. Now all he needed was to sleep, sleep for hours and prepare himself for tomorrow, or technically today. Maybe if he called Dick, went over a plan…but he hadn't, he was too upset…and…he knew. He knew how Dick felt…or at least how unsure he was over…her. He wanted to be possessive about it, keep her under his guard, punch Dick…punch him over and over and keep him away from her but those were passing thoughts that grew more so out of his anger for Dick asking her to help him than his own jealous. Dick was his brother, he knew his past, he knew loving others always brought confusion for him. Artemis was practically his sister and he wanted to hold onto that. The poor kid thought the only way was romantically, of course he wouldn't act on it…but still.

"He loves her." Wally rubbed his temples trying to clear his mind, trying to think through his own confusion about how he felt. He wanted Dick's feelings for Artemis to go away yet he knew Dick needed her, needed him, needed anyone who came close by the very fact he pushed them away…mostly the females. Artemis, Babs, Zatanna, Kory and Artemis. Dick was afraid of feeling love for someone because he was afraid it would lead to marrying, a family and that family breaking as his had. He was happy with his team, they were his family but of course romantic feelings would always arise, Wally knew that better than anyone.

"He can't have her." He blurted out. He smacked his head against his forehead, cursing himself. Artemis wasn't a thing to be had, she was a human with feelings, emotions and for some reason she had feelings for Wally, she was in love with him and he with her.

All the ache of her departure came back to him and his jealousy faded. He missed her; he wanted her here. He wanted to live out here in California, to be the lab rat, and for her to be the badass lawyer or whatever it was she was going to end up doing with her law degree and together things would be perfect…kids running around safe, perfectly safe, forever. He knew that was a lie, there were heroes for a reason; because things aren't safe, life is dangerous and he had the rose colored glasses on too long…or he pretended to have them on. Life came to the edge of things, always…and he couldn't believe she'd lasted so long with him always worrying about her to the point of annoyance.

"Because she loves me." He turned into the pillow again, clutching it, feeling the fabric of the pillowcase and sighing heavily, so heavily he started choking on his own salvia. He started coughing violently, closing his eyes and holding onto the pillow, feeling every bit of it as if she were really here. The pillow became wet soon enough with the touch and eventual soaking of his tears. He didn't know what to make of himself, he could hear her bones cracking, he could see the blood pouring, he could see her gray eyes, like the moon…his moon archer…he could imagine it all over again and…

How did Kaldur do it, how did he go on with Tula gone? Artemis was away in the ocean, hidden, dangerously close to be killed but still as of yet she was untouched. How did Kaldur keep going?

"He's a damn saint." Wally's voice shook, he was too emotional at the moment to think of anything but of all the ways things could go wrong. She was so human, more so the he…a metahuman she was not. She was, however, a trained assassin…technically, that is what she was, trained to kill, she could keep herself safe…but still…there's only so much her body could take.

The pillow grew increasing wet as the tears increased, streaming off his skin onto the floral pattern of her pillow. He pulled himself up afraid his salty tears would overpower her scent.

Her clothes…He got off their bed and opened their closet, sitting down on her side, where she kept all her shirts, some covered with coffee stains she hadn't managed to get out, her pants sprinkled with grass stains from her time on the soccer field, her rarely worn dresses that took his breath away...she had one for each anniversary they had. He sat there feeling pathetic, pathetic for hiding here and crying, pathetic for missing her and feeling weak over a woman but pathetic…being pathetic…it didn't last long because he knew this is what love meant, missing someone so much and desperate to hold on to them.

"Holding." He grabbed one of her dresses and held it against his chest. His eyes were steady, serious, the whole scene was closest to a prayer he had ever come, not since Tula's death when he found himself praying to every god he knew to protect her…and here he was, practically praying to a God he didn't believe in to watch over her.

"Send in all the angels." He whispered as his head leaned against the wall, "All of them."

…

For now, no one else was on the ship. It was her and Kaldur, deep under the water. She had questioned him earlier about his father wondering where he had gone, Kaldur simply replied that these were the hours he was expected to sleep and thus his father did not concern himself with his actions during this time so long as the tracker said where he was suppose to be. Dick had reprogrammed the signal to hit whichever tower Kaldur wished; they were safe.

"Aren't you tired?" She asked as she felt a chill go down her spin. Water terrified her for reason she would never understand. Perhaps nearly drowning so many times was the reason…

Kaldur caught sight of her distress and ignored her question, he stayed awake for as long as he did because he didn't think about sleep, he refused to acknowledge the word existed otherwise he'd crash down on the floor and never wake up.

"You're still afraid of the water?" He asked, placing his hand kindly on her shoulder. Years earlier, during an ocean mission, she had been hesitate to go down with the others, he had thought it was because of her near drownings on previous missions, but there was something more, something in the terror she felt in the water.

"You're wondering why he chose me over M'gann?" Artemis smiled at her old friend, her words already with doubt. M'gann would be a better choice, she could turn into a mermaid for God's sake, Artemis' aversion to large bodies of water made her the worst choice, and still she agreed to go because…well because she was given the chance to go back, to be the hero, to feel the rush, to be someone…and…that in itself was a relief.

"He trusts you more." Kaldur turned to stare out of a window, the sea was black, not even fish floated by them, unsettling for someone unaccustomed to the darkness but he grew up in it, living in Atlantis…of course there were lights there, here it was like the night's sky…

"M'gann's changed…" She moved to stand next to him, forcing herself to look out the window and face her fears, she started to tremble. He placed his arm over her shoulder and gave her a hug, smiling at her. As she stared out into the water she felt someone looking for her, she felt it for quite some time before it faded and she knew Wally had gone home; their home.

"Do not worry, you are safe here." Kaldur spoke after a long silence. The two friends were close, as with most of the team, they were brother and sister. When Kaldur discovered his true bloodline, they had only grown closer. It was very much like Artemis and Conner. They were indifferent to each other for quite some time before they realized how similar they were, both having the blood of evil running in their veins, cleansing themselves by saving the innocent and making their own fate. Kaldur soon joined their club…although now Conner and the rest of the team would make Kaldur their enemy for what they believed he had done. It wasn't fair for Kaldur, so virtuous and so broken; he had lost the love of his life and now this...

"How do you do it?" He knew what she meant, he knew just about everything she meant by now. It came with the understanding between two equals who shared similar histories, at least where they're parents were involved.

"I miss her…but her memory, I can't let her death go in vain, I can't…rage is not the answer, blame is not the answer, justice is." She looked up at him, staring at his eyes, she knew he was seeing Tula, the slight smile on his lips told her it was a good memory, perhaps the one of the two chasing dolphins, she hoped it was.

"You don't deserve the crap you're getting."

"All will be well." He said in that soothing manner only Kaldur could deliver. She gently punched his shoulder; he always had a level head.

"You should be a blue lantern or something Kal." He chuckled and patted her head, she punched him again and he pretended to scoff. They were making light of a dangerous situation, they had to or else the pressure would get to them, or else the feelings of their loved ones would sink in. Tula was gone, Wally was far away, it was too much to think about. For now, they could at least enjoy the ride…but soon they would be back into the battle, both pretending to be people they weren't.


	2. Struggling

Dick awoke to the sound of an alarm going off, one he had set to wake him up should he pass out again. The buzzing sound left him irritated, he grabbed it throwing it across the room, sighing at the sound of it breaking into pieces against his wall. It was a stupid thing to do, an impulse…now he'd have to buy another one and he had no time for that. He'd spent the past few days looking into every lead with the Light; it was the mission that took priority over all the others. He'd given up his rarely used bed for the metal chair at his desk…a desk covered with papers.

"Damn it." He pushed his hands into his face and shook, he needed to sleep and yet he couldn't, not when his friends were on such a dangerous mission, not when he promised to bring them safely back…

All this weight on his shoulders, it was getting to him, he'd been throwing up most of what he ate; as of now he relied on saline packages to give him energy. Protein shakes left him queasy; anything he had to chew sent him straight to the toilet. It had to be the guilt, it was eating away at him, he wanted to talk to someone, anyone…all he had was Wally…

Wally.

Wally had talked to him but coldly. There wasn't much else to say at a time like this, not until she was back in his arms…not until they were sure she was safe. It was weird to think that way. As much as they were for equality between the sexes, they were still chauvinists who hated the idea of the female dying, the female being in danger…and they both knew they looked to Kaldur to protect her.

"But she doesn't need it." He smiled knowing the archer could just as easily protect the Atlantian as he would her. They had each other, that should be enough, they were trained professionals with years of experience.

That should be enough.

But it wasn't. He had the taste of death, he'd held it in his arms…and not just the pretend death of Artemis, a thought that made it difficult to keep his eyes shut…he had other deaths too, ones he'd heard about, one's he saw firsthand. They never leave, they're the reminder of all the evil in this world, everything they fight against.

Fight.

He knew they'd go out fighting, but that didn't comfort him. He could see her lying on the ground, soaked in her own blood. The sight sent something like a seizure through him and he fell back on his chair, onto the floor. He'd hit his head and it hurt like hell but he didn't get up. He didn't like being so mixed…so confused.

This was a mission, a battle, a war…yea…a war. Romance needed to be out of his mind, leave that to her actual boyfriend, the person she adored, the person she was in love with. His two best friends, he'd let them down the moment he asked them for his help…he had promised he wouldn't but he did it anyway.

Did he bring death everywhere he went? That was his ghost, his fear, his burden, his nightmare…falling…no not just falling…being helpless.

As of right now, without being able to contact the others, he was helpless…he had to wait and hope and…

"Damn it."

…

He sat with his back against the door, the papers of his lit study guide swarmed around the room in circles, he'd left the ceiling fan on and now they danced in the air, mocking him. He needed an English credit, he hated English but he thought since it was already mandatory…why not take it with her?

The choice left him alone in class with glances from others, wondering where she had been. It was natural, the two were known as a couple across campus, the lovebirds, the "it" couple…"it"…not "it" because they were powerful or anything that entailed stupid high school drama…that was the connotation of "it" here…no they were the "it" couple because they were the couple everyone aspired to be, to have…that _love_.

All day…_Where's Artemis, is she sick, she missed class again…again_…they had been on spring break during the mission…one week before anyone would notice she was gone. She knew full well she'd have to spend another semester here because of this mission…the sacrifices she was making…

A paper hit is face. Without looking, he crumbled it in his hands and threw it to his side. He looked forlorn and lost…those at school had always seen him as a fun guy to be around, dependable, honest…now he was just a grumpy jerk. Rumors were flying everywhere. Some said she broke up with him, moved out and transferred schools…or planned to. The school hadn't been notified of her "death" just yet as there were plans needed to be made…how to explain what had happened without revealing her identity…it could comprise a lot of people, including himself. For now she was just missing, that's what he had to think…just missing.

"Crap." He pulled his head back onto the door. He un-crumpled the paper, worried it was one of hers and he had ruined it, even though she wouldn't need it. It was one of his, scrap sheet for a lab experiment; he threw it against to the coffee table. Lately all he ever did was sit on the floor. He tried to keep up with school, he was doing alright; only one week…one week, two without her…and when would she be back exactly?

"Kent." The dog loyally walked over, licking the hand of his owner sensing his pain. Wally placed his hand on the dog's head and rubbed it gently, but his eyes were on the papers flying about. Some were hers, work unfinished…probably never to be finished since she'd have to retake her classes. All the money that went into it, she wouldn't get a refund. Wally made sure Dick would cover the expenses; he wasn't about to let Artemis work her ass off all over again to get money back.

He moved his hands to his eyes, pulling at the eyelids when he heard whimpering. Kent had cried every night…there was no mommy to cradle him when she walked in, no mommy to make him special meals, no mommy to snuggle with. He missed her scent; he missed her touch…he missed…

"We've got each other." Wally pulled him close and stared out again. For a moment he saw her there in the living room, hair a mess…wearing an oversized shirt. She hadn't showered the day before and she was turning everywhere in search for a book, coffee spilled down her fingers…she winced at it but it didn't take her focus away from her task. He got up from the table to wrap his arms around her, to feel the structure of her body, each toned muscle, each curve, to frame her with his hands and kiss her neck, a way of calming her down. Somehow they had ended up dancing around the living room to hits from the 90s. He kept stepping on her toes so she'd kick him in the shins, at one point she had fallen over from laughter…he scooped her up, bridal style and twirled her around the room…

All of this, that…what was…right before his eyes again and he smiled…a painful smile, the one with that apple core in the throat, the knots in the stomach, tugging at one another.

It was bad enough getting visits from Zatanna and Conner and M'gann…all those tears, those breakdowns…the promises for revenge. He had hoped they'd leave him alone but still…he was grateful they had come…he was grateful to know people missed her, almost as much as he did. Of course the worst of it was Paula. She was on best rest, he didn't want to see her at all, the woman still had trouble her meds, she was out of it most of the time in the hospital, did she really need to be told?

For some reason Dick thought it best, lest anyone be suspicious. She had to be sedated…when she woke up she didn't remember a word he had said, although she kept asking for her daughter, begging to see her.

It wasn't right.

"You know Kent, this plain sucks." That's all he could say; he never was one for eloquent words. Maybe if he tried he could recite poetry, lovesick poetry for a love lost but if he did that he would be one, a pathetic hopeless romantic and two, caving into the façade that she was actually gone.

"She's coming back." He pulled the dog close and closed his sore eyes, they'd spent every night since she'd left crying…not manly….perhaps not stereotypical so, but still…he couldn't help it.

…

"We're meeting his partner today." Kaldur said coolly, his eyes were trained on the hallway ahead. This was the moment they had been waiting for, all the planning here would bring them closer…reveal secrets the league and the team needed. The end to this charade was near and that had him holding his breath, when the end is near one is always tense for who can predict what the future will be all one desired? There was no way to know for sure; he felt as though he walked on eggshells, careful not to give away his true intentions…

He'd introduced Artemis as his accomplice, Diana, a master assassin who would be quite useful in the upcoming plans, ones he knew little about other than the need for professionals. A full background check was done of course but Dick had taken care of that, and as Kaldur had explained, they had met years ago when he was trying to take her down for dealing weapons in the middle east, for now all was well.

Artemis adjusted as best as she could. She walked with confidence and carried herself with a malice she was born with but often suppressed in hopes of not becoming what her blood wanted her to be. Many of the crew feared her after her stunt with the knives, she'd nearly blinded one of them for talking back to her when she was first introduced, of course her intention was to miss…they knew that as she said "That was a warning."

The hardest part was sleeping. She slept on her side of the bed; she found herself reaching for him and then drawing back in agony, she missed his heat. Night after night she didn't have him to kiss her forehead, her cheek, her lips…he wasn't there to hold her hand and whisper in her ear as she fell asleep…she'd gotten so use to that.

"Diana." She looked up, careful to keep to her brutality in every expression. Before her was Black Manta and beside him a girl with white hair and a wicked smile.

"Father, who is this?" Kaldur gestured to the young woman…one who could not be older than 15.

"This is Rose."

"Ravager, I prefer that, sounds more menacing." She winked at Kaldur who only nodded stoically.

"So what exactly is she suppose to do?" Artemis said pretending to be unimpressed by the girl who she now recognized as a girl from her youth. Inside, her blood nearly stopped, her veins stuck out from her skin and her body became stiff, afraid and yet questioning, guilty….

This was a girl she had watched over years back…for one day…little Rose…the one with blonde hair…what had happened to her? Well she could see what had happened to her in the context of what she had become but how she became this person…her parents had to be assassins as Artemis' were.

That would explain her presence now and why she carried swords with her. It was her father who had left the girl with her all those years ago, back then she carried a teddy bear similar to Artemis' and wore her hair in pigtails, the beautiful blonde hair much like Artemis'.

"Oh nothing much just kill someone without a trace, or you know murder ruthlessly, maybe both." She shrugged her shoulders and laughed cockily. She had changed…she'd grown up. Artemis pushed her feet into he ground, trying to hide the shiver as she realized this could have been her had it not been for the team, if she had never been a hero…she would be Rose, she would be…Ravager.

"Father is this the new partner you spoke of?"

"Has she even hit puberty?" Artemis could only remain calm now with snark, it was her distraction from the enlightening thought...horribly enlightening.

"Do you not see my boobs?" Rose rolled her eyes, picking up her sword and holding it a few inches closer to Artemis who only scoffed.

"She is the daughter of our partner, you will meet him soon." With that, Black Manta had his arm around his son, talking to him about the plans, one's that involved the Light and all their nefarious plots…one's with banks, kidnappings…all strategically planned for something much bigger, something with humanity and "cleansing" it. Artemis was careful not to roll her eyes. From what Kaldur had told her, the Light had something big but not all the details were given to his father and even less to Kaldur himself.

"You know you look like a man." Despite the horror of the little girl becoming a killer, a horror that would be in the back of mind for some time, she had to admire her. She had that bluntness, that willingness to push buttons. Had things been different…had they stumbled upon each other…had Artemis taken her under her wing…they could have been friends. Maybe if she appealed to the bond of being two girls braiding each other's hair, talking through their stuffed animals and sharing stories of their crappy fathers…maybe…but no, that time had passed, Artemis had failed, she had neglected the obvious task to watch out for that girl, she had forgotten and honestly the memory had long ago faded. Now she faced this mistake and could only block it for now, there was no use in trying to redeem herself…at least not yet.

"Sorry my face is not pleasing to you princess." Artemis turned to go, trying to ignore the little voice in her head that wanted so desperately to ask what had been done to this girl, little Rose with the pigtails.

"Hold up Sir, we've got work to do. Us master assassins were given a mission." At this point Artemis laughed; it came in place of a gasp. Kaldur had never said anything about a mission, he…he must not have been told, was this her own test? Kaldur was safe, or so it seemed but maybe Black Manta wanted to see just how willing she was to carry out all this crap. What could she do but play along?

"Where, when, who?"

"They're called Young Justice, sounds kinda poetic but still clichéd, Ravager does not approve. But eh, not everyone's good at coming up with names like moi, I mean Ravager, you know destroyer?" She winked again. Artemis steadied herself, she tried to make her panic look like calculation, she tired…there was no way to know if she was succeeding, not with the sweat coming from her pits, her forehead. She cracked her neck to the side and then her knuckles; the sound of bones settled her in an eerie way.

"What do we have to do exactly?"

"Trap's all set up, all we have to do is go in for the slaughter."


	3. Mystery

**Alright guys...it's going to get confusing...hang in there, I promise everything will make sense later on (I DO HAVE A PLAN, TRUST ME :D) (SORRY FOR ANY GRAMMAR MISTAKES, I SWEAR I TRIED REALLY HARD but at this point I just want to post it already)**

* * *

Wally tugged at his ruffled shirt, his hands wrapped around the fabric pulling it downwards in a pathetic attempt to remove the wrinkles; he was in no mood to iron. He had a lab practical in a few hours, one he hadn't bothered to study for. Something along the lines of thermal stoichiometry and…that was all his mind chose to remember from the review. The names of elements acted like numbers in his head, naming themselves off in a repetitive pattern with their atomic weight attached. It was something like counting sheep only instead of evoking sleep it left him frustrated and weary.

"You need to rest." Dick was quiet, not just quiet in movement but also in voice and as he stepped forward, Wally could sense a similar weakness, one from too many nights worrying…both were self-destructing, forgetting to eat, unable to sleep, anxiety building in as a toxin, a natural toxin seeping into the their blood and flowing through every limb, every vital organ. They both knew something had to change, that must be why Dick had come, that or he had a lead, maybe both.

"Find anything?" Wally poured a cup of coffee for Dick who declined; his stomach had yet to settle.

"Something." Dick sat down at the kitchen table, running his hands over the cloth, it belonged to Paula Crock, he'd been here a few times for dinners…ones with the West family and the Crock family, bringing along Tim and Barbara for a hearty meal paired with reminiscing…that had changed in a year, a year…365 days at least…no, it had been longer. In that number, that 3 digit number, things had changed so much and the team had become…what they team had become…nothing as simple as it once was…nothing as simple as a group of kids fighting for good, no all that change. Death had such a powerful impact, what a force death was. Biologically speaking, the brain shuts down, the heart stops pumping blood; things go cold. On another level, a level not as easy to except for it was not found on fact but feel, was the soul. The soul fades…and eyes become vacant, empty.

"Something good?" Dick jumped, startled by Wally's voice. He sat next to him now, watching his expressions. Dick had looked so inward a moment ago which led Wally to believe he'd been in deep thought, provoking thoughts about life and death, Dick's favorite topic although not by choice.

"Something…odd."

"Go on." Odd…a word that was more of an understatement in his line of work or his old line of work. Wally was a man of science but he had come to learn the inevitability of things he couldn't understand crossing paths with his life. From magic to ghosts, he chose not to weigh in on logical explanations but rather take the matter as it came, it was the only way to survive the hero business lest one spend hours questioning everything until the uncertainty of it all left one's mind catatonic. Of course death…that was a whole different topic, one Wally saw as that one force…that one force worth stopping for, thinking over. Dick didn't seem to understand that when it came to action. It was all fine and dandy to think about death as a subject for Dick, not so much a possibility. Or rather, he liked to repress the possibility as often as he could. He wasn't always that way, at 13 he couldn't get over death being around every corner…all from a training session gone terribly wrong. Things had changed; repression was his vice, his addiction.

"Well upon falling on my head-" Dick began, but Wally cut him off.

"Literally?"

"Yes Wally, I don't think that's an expression for an epiphany."

"No need to get snappy." Wally lifted his mug and took a long sip as his eyes stayed on his friend, he wanted the look to be threatening but Dick only smiled.

"Sorry Wallace, been a long few days."

"Long few years."

"Right. Back to the original topic, I fell on my head _literally_. While I was down there, I had something of that whole man vs. self conflict. Once that past, I realized something. Arguing with myself, talking to myself…talking to one's self, remind you of anyone?" Wally closed his eyes, the elements started playing a song now and they bounced back and forth like ping pongs while doing it. He needed to sort things through, there was no Artemis to rub his shoulders, kiss his cheek, touch his eyelids and whisper, "You got this Wall-Man."

There was only Dick, his best friend yes…but nothing close to the girl he loved, the girl so far away, deep under the ocean. Water. She never liked large bodies of water, he never learned why, she never could say herself and yet…so many things left unsaid between them, it was eerie to think they hadn't told each other everything; they should and…wait the question.

_Remind you of anyone? _Anyone, everyone talked to themselves, but who did so that really stuck out in his mind…

"The kid, Blue Beetle, what about him?" He hadn't thought much about any of the new team members since he'd left. He'd only shared his displeasure with someone as young as Garfield joining the team, especially after the death of Tula, the near death of Artemis. His fists clenched at the thought, all those bruises, all that blood…

"Not so much the kid, but his predecessor, Ted Kord." Ted Kord, another billionaire with a lot of toys, something of a tech genius like Batman, minus the intimidation and ability to make one wet their pants on sight.

"Why don't you go into a full explanation instead of feeding me your big reveal bit by bit, I'm getting agitated Grayson." Dick sighed and pulled the mug away from Wally.

"Give. It. Back." Wally said, shaking as he reached for the cup.

"Dude, you're unstable. That's my point. If I give you all of it at once you're going to start flipping tables and-" Wally took Dick's lecturing more as an annoyance than a thoughtful gesture. He took back the mug, still shaking.

"I get it."

"Alright, listen. Ted Kord, there's a lot more mystery to his death than we originally thought, mysteries and things worth murdering for and not just the scarab."

"Sounds like a classic tale of villains killing to get what they want, how does that relate to the partner, the Light? Did they kill Kord?"

"I can't prove it yet but we knew the killers were trained assassins, that's why we thought it was the league of shadows going after the scarab. But we were stupid. We overlooked the fact that they work hand in hand with the Light. We just kind of dismissed it, after all, what would the Light want with the scarab? What could it's technology offer to them? They aren't assassins…they're about cleansing and…well the shadows went after stuff like the scarab to outright kill. Still, it's not an excuse, we weren't thinking, I wasn't thinking." Wally laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. One of Dick's greatest faults was his self-blame. Everything was his fault in his eyes.

"Wally, my point is, it seems they were after more than the Scarab."

"But there's a reason for this connection you've made, right?" There was always a reason, Dick didn't just come up with this stuff without recognizing a pattern, and if he came to Wally, he had to have something, something to hold him while he waited for her to come back, a distraction outside of school where he was surrounded by the halls they walked together, he was surrounded by her.

"Several. Kord's murder was never solved. Whoever did the deed, or ordered it didn't want anyone to know why even though it looked like the work of the Shadows…it was probably one of their people but the idea…I'm betting was the Light's and I'm starting to think the scarab was a distraction from the real reason of the murder."

"But the Light hasn't bothered us in years." Dick shook his head at Wally's words. The Light was a group of calculating villains, villains that wanted more than money…they had a warped sense of responsibility for the human race and believed it was their job to put things in order by methods the league and the team couldn't allow. It wouldn't come as a surprise to Dick if they'd been secretly carrying out tasks like Kord's murder for their larger plan…for phase two…damn it. Phase one was still so unclear…the missing 16 hours…why did they have the league attack that planet? Maybe the answer was in the drawing…

Dick pulled out a folded paper from his pocket and handed it to Wally who unfolded it quickly; eager to read it's contents. What he saw only annoyed him.

"What the hell is this?" What the hell indeed. Instead of words he saw a picture, one with circles and lines and symbols.

"It's a sketch, from Artemis' notebook." Wally was taken aback; so much so he jumped and his chair fell behind him; he started pacing the room, Artemis' notebook…what the hell?

"I have Artemis' notebooks, all of them. So unless you broke in and went through our stuff, _again_, I don't see how you could have the sketch. Dick what the hell, stop breaking into our home!" He threw his hands up into the air, exasperated. He and Artemis had never really referred to what Dick did as breaking in; it was more of "Dick's way."

He didn't use the front door; he didn't like to knock. He liked to creep in through the window from time to time just to remind them how vulnerable they were, maybe even force them back onto the team.

"First off, I installed a security system that I have a code to. Second, it's a high school notebook; it's one of her doodles. Third, you're still shaking." Wally huffed and sat down on the couch. He sat there in silence for a good seven minutes before speaking again.

"Why do you have a notebook that belongs to my girlfriend?" There was possessiveness in that question, Dick tried to ignore it, he couldn't acknowledge it, not when there were more important matters at hand.

"She gave it to me, I needed scrap paper for a test years ago and I forgot to give it back." He hadn't forgotten; he wanted to hold on to it.

"Explain to me Grayson why you were going through it?" Wally wasn't convinced; things were making less sense with each word Dick spoke.

"Wally, I had a bunch of notebooks on my desk alright. I was looking for clues in my notes. After I had my little talking-to-myself-time, I got up to think things through, started going through my notebooks, came across hers and-"

"You just couldn't help but go through each page, reading everything she wrote, laughing at her doodles, trying to decipher the meaning of everything she penned? I get it. So forget the rest of explanation, tell me what the hell it means, and what it has to do with the mission." Dick looked away from Wally, he was being reminded how much Wally loved her and it made him feel guilty for keeping the notebook all this time…but if he hadn't…if he hadn't he wouldn't have found the breakthrough he needed.

"I remember asking her about it, I remember when she drew it. She told me it was something she'd picked from Zatanna's spellbooks, you know Artemis has a-"

"Photographic memory, yea. So…what?"

"Her reasons for drawing it…well it's not important, it's what it relates to. It looked similar to the black magic we've seen Klarion use so I went to Z, asked her about it, apparently it relates to the same mystic forces Kord had been working with, or at least researching before his death. That's when it kinda came together. I dug deeper, hacked into Kord enterprises looking for old files. It took awhile but I find what Kord didn't want anyone to see, the other projects related to the scarab, the one's the shadows killed for, one's that make me believe that Light is involved."

"Go…on." Wally didn't want to be spoon-fed, he wanted all the answers now; mystery was never something he particularly liked.

"The files… had to do with biblical text and-"

"Let me stop you there Grayson. You start off with the scarab, alien technology which is something I can accept, but this biblical…direction you're headed, don't tell me the two relate."

"What Vandal Savage tried to do years ago was genocide, cleaning humanity, you can't tell me that the guy doesn't have a God complex." Dick was smiling but Wally wasn't amused, he wasn't a religious guy and couldn't touch the subject without an obvious distaste for it, or at least with a skeptical tone.

"That's the best you got?"

"No, the best I got West is the file detailing the Light's full mission, it's corrupted but I've got broken pieces." Wally covered his face; he was fuming now, all this talk, why didn't he just get to the point, short and sweet. He had a test to get to and more importantly, news like this could help her, Artemis…and Kaldur, bring them home quicker, bring her to him faster.

"It really _is_ all related Wally. The Light was looking for something to do with Artemis' drawing, the symbol anyway. It was in Kord's files. According to Z it had to do with some old biblical jargon she couldn't understand but it's old, really old…like scarab old. That relates too. We need to find out what the symbol means. I think it's the key to the Light's plans." Wally pulled one hand off his face, scowling at Dick.

"And before you jump down my throat, keep in mind Kord was a man of science, just like you, and this stuff was in his files, he thought it was important for a reason."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS." He didn't need this; he really didn't need Dick talking like Batman with this all too serious analytical voice, even with the smiles.

"Yes."

"Why the hell would you tip toe around that you ass, why couldn't you have just said you found the files!"

"Did you hear me, they're corrupted, broken pieces, it's hard enough feigning of viruses and-"

"Alright let's recap, shall we? You have my girlfriend's notebook, found a doodle inside it that led you to ask Z who is all oh yes it has to do with the Scarab and it's biblical which makes no sense since it's alien technology but oh wait you started digging through files and find the Light's plans which somehow relates to a dead scientist? Is that what I'm to understand Dickie?"

"Granted, the Artemis' drawing was a coincidence."

"No, we don't believe in those Dick. There's more to it, what aren't you telling me?"

"I'm telling you what I know. You asked for updates here's one. I gave it to you as soon as I could. Now I have to get back."

"Right, just dump this on me and go, fantastic. I'll just sit here pretending you aren't hiding something from me." Dick sighed, exhausted more than annoyed. He wanted to tell Wally everything but there were too many unsorted details, he did the best he could at explaining; he really did try.

Dick quietly shook his head and sat next to his friend, holding out his hand. Wally stared at it; he knew Dick wanted it to be like old times, just for a moment, just so he'd know they'd be okay. Of course they would, they both kept telling themselves after this was over they'd spend two days catching up on Call of Duty and Portal 2. They told themselves they'd pig out and fail epically at Krumping while Artemis and the rest of the team watched in amusement. They told each other these things, sure…but silently. Neither could say it out loud, neither could get a clear cut understanding of what was happening. Artemis and Kaldur were on a mission to find the Light's partner. Simple.

Now it was complicated, now there was religion involved, ancient religion it seemed…the shadows…well that was a given but also alien technology, fantastic.

"Throw in some ghosts and we have ourselves a fiesta." Dick smirked knowingly full well what Wally had been thinking. They two exchanged their secret handshake and cracked up laughing. It was an old laughter, one shared between the closest of friends, between family, between brothers.

"Alright West, I'm headed out. Good luck on the practical and maybe take a nap? You don't want to be shaking all throughout the test."

"I'll try and cut back on the caffeine." After Dick left, Kent appeared, it's as if he was waiting for the whole ordeal to be over or maybe just be alone with the one person who'd understand how much he missed Artemis.

"Alright buddy, snuggle up to Papa. I need a nap." The dog happily obeyed and the two nestled on the couch. As Wally closed his eyes he thought of her, smiling and waving at him with flowers in her hair…a memory from their trip to Germany…

"Artemis," he murmured as he thought of the picture she'd drawn years ago, one he knew full well was not drawn merely by chance, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

* * *

Artemis has been sharpening her knives for the past hour. The time and place of the mission had not been told to her and with a day to think about it, she still had no idea what to do. Kaldur was missing, well not missing but off somewhere and she hadn't seen him since meeting Rose, how the hell could she warn the team? When she asked about when they'd be leaving, as each moment of waiting increased the nauseous crawling up her throat, Rose smugly replied "When I say so."

Artemis tried various insults and forms of interrogation to get Rose to talk but to no avail. Unless she broke a few bones, there would be no reaching her. Even then, Artemis couldn't help but imagine Rose taken satisfaction from being broken, getting cut or bruised. The girl was sick; it was clear in her eyes she had a twisted moral compass, or rather a broken one? No, more like nonexistent. She'd led Artemis to believe the mission would happen shortly after meeting her, but now there was a wait…the quiet before the storm, the silence before the slaughter. Rose enjoyed that. She walked around with her head held high, mocking everyone and speaking of the impending murders with such a joy. She cared little for anyone; that was obvious. The only person it seemed just had allegiance to was her father. They way Rose talked about him…it was like he was her idol.

The image of Rose's father, the one from Artemis' childhood was blurred and she'd been contemplating if she had ever met him. She replayed the first time she saw Rose, all those years ago but things were distant, hazy. She couldn't hold on to the memory, not for long anyway. She did know that whoever Rose's father was but she had her suspicions that he wasn't the real partner at all but a hired gun to test her, or something of the like. After all, Rose was an assassin, her father was an assassin, what could two people who work for the highest bidder have to offer for the Light, a group of modern day Nazis, other than to murder those who got in their way?

"Hey mister, we've got our orders. Time to head out." Rose's taunting voice unnerved Artemis even more.

"Just like that? No debriefing?"

"All you need to do is throw the pointy things at the kiddies, watch for blood and you know…corpses." Rose was amoral, Artemis was slowly wrapping her head around that fact. She believed the rules didn't apply to her. Those thoughts….they were obvious with every wicked smile that played on her lips, like a song at a crescendo.

"Fantastic, I walk in blind."

"You're such a killjoy with all this complaining." Rose dragged out each word to emphasize her annoyance.

"I need to know the target, how else am I suppose to fight them? If you've forgotten princess, we live in a world with super powered freaks, aliens and everything in between." Artemis picked up a knife, weighing in her hand. She was trying to occupy herself. The way she spoke was a bit too daunting on her. This character was a bit _too_ easy to play.

"Alright. It's hard to say who for sure, but here are some of the possibilities. A mini Amazon, a Martian, a half-baked Kryptonian, a Bug, another bug, a bat, maybe some birds and a little green twerp. Oh and possibly a speedster, not too sure on those details…happy?"

"Glad you could enlighten me, sounds like the animal kingdom with a side of freak show."

"Happy to oblige. _Happy, happy_. Don't you just love the word." Rose's composure was wavering. The cynical tone in her voice barely concealed the pain over the word, "happy." Maybe that's what it was, she was never happy. Maybe that's why she'd lost her way…pretending to be above it all, the unwritten rules as well as the ones in stone…it was her way of coping…and still…she was dying inside.

As they entered the ship that would take them to their destination, Artemis found herself more concerned with the dead girl walking than of the mission.

The mission.

She was screwed, two weeks into this, barely anything new discovered accept for this Rose girl and…

"So what's with that yellow stone?" Rose said as they took their seats, she was trying to hide her slip-up.

"What's it to you?" The ship's engine was on, seatbelts buckled and the ship became to press forward under the water.

"I like jewelry. In fact, here's one of my favorites." Rose dug into one of her many pockets inside her black and gray suit. She smiled as she pulled out a pendent, one with all sorts of lines and circles…one that Artemis recognized. She saw a scrap paper at first, then her hand, moving, turning to etch in the shapes. Then it was Zatanna's spellbook…a sign from the book, something to do with-

"It's pretty huh? Savage gave it me himself. A little gift for this favor. I mean I like killing and all, and I do everything daddy's says, but this was nice, don't ya think?"

"I don't see the point in you showing me." Artemis said with a deadpan voice. She couldn't let this little revelation show on her face. It might not mean anything…of course they, they being the team, had long ago agreed that coincidences don't just happen. She of all people should know, after all it was fate that brought her and Wally together.

"I wanted to remind you who's in charge here Diana darling. This little pendent means I'm the favorite, it's worth a lot more than you'll ever know and they trusted me with it. Keep that in mind."

"You're saying you could kill me without any consequences because you're so high up on the food chain." Artemis was being sarcastic, Rose was a pond and she knew it even if Rose didn't. The question was how. How exactly was everything related…but that didn't matter now. What mattered was what she was going to do when she saw the team. They wouldn't recognize her, the only one would be Dick and there was no guarantee he'd be there…she was screwed.

"Relax Diana, you think too much. Oh by the way, shoot to kill, or you know through shiny things to kill." Artemis spent the remainder of the trip in silence as Rose spoke of her previous killings in great detail. Her favorite weapon was the sword yes, but she also enjoyed the effects of poison on her victims.

After some time, they arrived. The ship rose upward to the surface. In all of Rose's babble, she had been thinking of what she'd do when they got there…and now that there were here she could only think of one thing…she'd seen Rose fight some of the minions in the halls out of cockiness…she had a mixture of the Shadows martial arts but with brute force, something she must have learned from her father. If Artemis could somehow use that to her advantage…

The top of the vessel opened, Artemis poked her head up, wanting to breathe the fresh air for a moment. Instead of enjoying the blue sky, the salt air, the quiet ocean waves, she was shaken by the sight of Mount Justice.

"Oh hell."

* * *

**There's a good chance you're going "wait a minute..." to a few things...I promise it'll make sense in the chapters that follow 3**

**Hint: It helps to go over all the chapters ;-)**


	4. Lies

"What's this supposed to be?" Artemis asked as Rose joined her on top of the ship. Upon first sight, the mountain made her queasy, sick with memories of missions from Batman, baking with M'gann, discussing novels with Kal, meditating with Conner… salsa nights with the girls and Dick… quiet evenings on the beach with Wally. All those memories tainted by this, this stupid mission, it led her right back to where it all started. The team was mourning and they had arrived in one of Black Manta's ships, Black Manta… associated with Kaldur, her "murderer."

What would they do…M'gann, she'd unleash hell.

"This, dear Diana, is a not so secret headquarters."

"And we're supposed to break into a superhero's… fortress?" Artemis said skeptically and she wasn't faking it. The cave was heavily guarded with an extensive security system designed by the most brilliant minds in the world, not to mention it was guarded by an android, a sphere of alien origin, a mutant Wolf… the list went on.

"Don't get your boxers in a bunch mister, we've already disabled the security system. We're just going to cause a distraction and maybe give it a fresh new paint job, I'm thinking red." Disabled… that's… _no_. It can't be true, who could have disabled it? Only someone on the inside, only someone with the records, the blueprints… and they'd need computer skills that matched Dick's, maybe even Batman's. Dick wouldn't betray them but… was there someone on the team who…

_Dammit, it's the mole crap all over again._

"Excuse me if I'm not fully prepared to risk my life based on something you said." She needed more information, something… anything that could tell her how they'd done it. Or was it a bluff? Had her cover been blown, were they sending her to be murdered for real this time? A twisted irony…and yet, painfully poetic. To be killed by those bent on avenging her, was that something Black Manta would do? She wasn't sure, but other members of the Light like Vandal, Lex, and Rash would approve as each one had strange fixations on literature, quoting authors and regaling stories in juxtaposition to life.

"Aw, are you wetting your pants already Mr. Man?" Rose adjusted her mask, her white hair tied into a ponytail that flowed in waves just as the ocean. Artemis couldn't help but think how easily this girl could be a hero, she had this valiancy in her movements, an elegant touch to the way she carried her swords that left Artemis impressed. Rose's skills far surpassed her own when she was 15.

"Enough with the masculine jokes Princess, unless you want me to tie that pretty little ponytail to this ship and hit autopilot." Artemis touched her own mask, rubbing the center where the cat nose had been painted on by Wally. She could have done without it, and the God awful whiskers, but it had made him smile. She would do _anything_ to make him smile, anything from staying up late to learn new recipes and nearly burning the apartment down in the process, to letting him draw black whiskers on her mask, completely impractical but "adorable" as he would say.

"Tell you what, when you prove to me you're a badass, I'll start calling you kitty-cat, 'kay?" Rose jumped to the water, walking up to the sand coolly. The girl had nerves of steel. Artemis admired that. She stared at the glimmer from Rose's hair, the light reflecting against it making her shine like an angel. How appropriate it was, the colorless hair… white signifying old age, with her face so young, the contradiction all too real for every superhero… and here it was personified by a supposed villain... no, villain… she _was _a villain.

"How do you expect to defeat them?" Artemis said, following closely.

"Follow my lead D." That's all she said, suddenly becoming serious as they approached the cave. How did she expect to get in Artemis couldn't fathom, she couldn't without being a number, without having the DNA of someone on the team… that's how the computer recognized you, it did so by form, the cells in your body… this whole thing was a death trap… it had to be. Soon enough she'd turn and Rose would be gone and she'd be left to suffer the wrath of her former teammates…

"Here, this one's yours." Rose handed her a paper with a number, before she could respond, she placed a dot on her neck.

"What the hell!"

"Relax, read the number as we go in." She didn't feel poisoned, no headaches, weak joints, blurry vision. So… what was the point? Artemis looked down at the paper and choked, it was Tula's number… before she could act Rose was recognized as B-07.

Artemis held her breath as the lights flashed and the computer voice read her name aloud along with Tula's. The eeriness of one's name while under another identity was like hearing a dead loved one's name fresh after death. She almost chuckled at the thought of loving herself; there was no room for love under the mask of _Tigress_.

"Boo, there's no color here," Rose said as they stepped further into the cave. Artemis got a chill from the floor, the very floor where she'd gone several rounds with many of teammates on several occasions, it seemed time would repeat itself…only under very different circumstances. Artemis looked over to the command center expecting someone to step through, but no one did. She turned to the halls and yet no one person appeared looking stunned at their presence, there was no one at all. Artemis closed her eyes momentarily for a mental sigh of relief.

"There's no one here," she said.

"I know, but one of them is coming." Rose was busy playing with the screens; she pulled each one up with ease as if she'd done it a million times. Her fingers daintily touched each button, reading through file after file. Artemis watched in disbelief, there was no way to stop her without blowing her cover and yet it looked as if she had already reviewed them.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking at things…" Rose stopped at the file of a redheaded boy with speedster goggles, it was the boy Wally had spoken of, the one from the future… a second cousin or something along those lines.

"Bart Allen," Rose whispered, her eyes smiling as she stuck her tongue out.

"Boyfriend of yours?" Artemis mused. With the cave empty and the young Rose giving puppy eyes to the picture, she felt at ease for the first time.

"Oh no, I think he's the one I was told to kill, personally. Now the other kid, Blue Beetle, he's a hottie." Rose shut the screens off, flipping her sword into the air and twirling the other at her side. Artemis watched carefully; it was as if the girl always played with her weapons whenever she wanted to change the subject.

"If I remember correctly he wears a blue suit of armor, what part is supposed to be hot?"

"Well… he looks like he has a nice build." The computer began to signal an arrival and Artemis stepped back to get behind Rose. She wanted to be able to knock her out inconspicuously should she need to by pretending to slip, thus allowing whoever walked through to escape and warn the others. It would make her look incompetent but it was a risk she had to take, especially if it was one of the freshmen stepping through.

A blonde girl with Wonder Woman's emblem stepped in looking defeated already, although upon seeing Artemis, or rather Tigress and Ravager, she gained a fresh resolve and lifted her fists in the air. This time Artemis sighed out loud, she had trained Cassie alongside Wonder Woman on more than one occasion. From that, she knew Cassie was brash and prone to act before thinking. Although a powerhouse, she lacked patience.

"I got this!" Rose said sprinting forward. Cassie flew upward but Rose anticipated this, swinging her sword to the girl's heart. _Lift your wrist Cassie, lift your wrist._

Cassie pulled her wrist up, blocking the sword with her cuff. But the blow was too forceful for her to stay in the air. She fell backwards, onto the cave wall. Artemis took this moment to jump over to Rose's side, blocking Rose's sword with her own crossbow.

"This is Wondy's brat, you want the Amazon princess after us?" Rose lifted her sword up, it slide across the crossbow and a sound of clashing metal rung through the room.

"I wasn't going to kill her, jeez slaughter was just a figure of speech." Artemis twisted her lips to express her disapproval. Rose had lied, she expected a battle with the whole team. While she was happy this wasn't the case because it would have most likely resulted in her own death at the hands of her friends or having her cover blown and ruining months of planning, she didn't like Rose lying to her.

_I should have seen it coming. _

Rose had no reason to trust her; she could lie at any point for the purpose of the mission because she felt like it. That made Rose even more dangerous; Artemis would always be guessing what her real motives were.

"When were you going to tell me the real plans, when I was a corpse on the floor?" Rose gave a "wasn't me" expression that was followed by a wicked smile. Cassie's eyes opened to see the two preoccupied with one another, _perfect timing for an attack_. She pushed her legs out, hoping to knock both assassins off their feet. Artemis side-stepped, expecting Cassie to do this, after all she taught her the importance of timing.

Rose got the full power of the blow; she fell on her back but her hands somehow managed to hold onto the swords. Artemis viewed them as the girl's lifeline; Rose would hold onto them even if it meant her own life. There was a sadness in that, what Rose held dearest were tools to kill.

Cassie flew up again, Artemis knew Wonder Woman had taught her how to use velocity and precision for hits, the higher she went, the more forceful the downward blow would be, especially if she picked up speed from the height. Before Cassie could swerve down, Artemis shot one of her arrows up, the target being the side of her cuff. At that angle, Cassie wouldn't be injured but she would be thrown off balance, about 17 degrees to the left, enough time for Rose to get up.

"Nice kittycat!" Rose yelled as she threw her sword at almost the exact angle Artemis had with her arrow. Cassie fell further down leaving Rose enough space to jump. Artemis mimicked Rose's movement at the opposite end, both their fists hit against Cassie's ribs on either end. The girl crashed onto the floor, her hands shaking over the bruises.

"Okay Ravager, what now?" Artemis said as she examined Cassie, the girl's ribs were strong, she was a demigoddess, two blows from humans wouldn't break them but it would be enough to cause her pain, about a minute's worth.

"Wonder girl goes night, night." Rose turned her sword over to the blunt side, her hands uncut from the sharp end she now held, she kicked Cassie down and jammed the sword into the girl's head; the violence had Artemis' hands quiver. If it had been someone else, like Gar… the blow could have killed them.

"Anger issues?" Artemis asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer. Having assassins for parents often breed those kinds of feelings, wrath weighing every decision one made and envy over the those with happy childhoods, or at least safe ones, caused hateful thoughts that turned into vicious actions.

"I told you I love my daddy." Rose pushed her swords back into the sheaths. Rose's eyes were on Cassie, looking at the girl as if seeing her own reflection. Artemis could imagine Rose being in the same position, out in the field training with her father, her own father attacking her and delivering an almost deadly blow. Artemis had been through a similar experience several times in her childhood. If things were different, she would have placed her hand on Rose's shoulder, comforted her with words like "You are not your blood, you are your own person." But it wouldn't work here, not when she played this bitter façade of a villainess with a vendetta.

"Are we taking her back to the ship?" Artemis asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I am, you're staying here. There's a compartment above," She pointed to the ceiling, "hide there and wait, there's food and a blanket but you're trained, I doubt you'll need most of it." Artemis knew above was Red Tornado's room; it's where he resided since becoming the team's den mother all those years ago.

"I don't understand, am I a spy now?"

"No silly, I'm the spy who's been in and out of this place for the past few weeks. You're the little kitten who's going to bring us the birdy, the big birdy, Nightwing." Artemis smiled, to Rose it looked like a pleasing smile of a woman getting the chance to toy with the body of an agile hero, Rose started to giggle. Artemis smirked because Nightwing was the one person she could handle being one of the four who'd see her golden blonde hair rather than the raven color everyone else saw, the hair of Tigress.

"I guess I should get to it then."

"Do me a favor kitty cat, straddle him for me, I have yet to dance with the pretty boy." Artemis winked. There was a pain behind the gesture, she knew now that had life been different they would have been like mentor and student, teammates, friends, almost like sisters. They would have worked together as heroes, now they partnered as villains.

_Life has a bad sense of humor._

….

"I can't believe you're doing this." Dick watched as the speedster slipped his handmade goggles onto his forehead, he smiled at Dick before turning to the mirror and winking at himself.

"It's what you wanted," Wally said, wiping off a few breadcrumbs from his arm.

"Of course I wanted you back on the team, but not like this. What about school?" Wally rolled his shoulders back; his eyes were glossed over from last night's cry. Despite having a cold cloth over them for a good hour, they were still bloodshot.

"Simultaneously doing college and vigilantism isn't exactly new to me." Wally didn't want to be in school anyway, not with all the looks he kept getting. Everyone wanted to know why his "other half" wasn't by his side. The rumors were getting unbearable.

"Alright Wally, not going to argue-"

"Good. Now let's head to the cave so I can brood as I pretend to be on the brink of punching you in the face." Dick smirked. He was happy to see his friend relaxing more. Wally would never say it but the yellow and red suit had a calming effect on him, in a way it was filled with sweet nostalgia of the adventures that gave him thrill, purpose. Before the team, Wally's goal in life was the rush, the unbelievable high of speeding through a road, a field, heading right into the fire, watching flames moving too slow, watching the tips of blades as they prepared to strike but never quite touching him… it was the feeling of invincibility.

His years on the team changed that. Looking into the eyes of those near death, witnessing death itself… it took its toll on him. When Artemis's life was moments from ending that was it. For some time he'd accepted the probability that one day running out into battle, in the thick of it with guns firing about one would eventually hit him and he'd fall dead. Stupidly, he never thought this fate could be Artemis's what with the way she carried herself, as a person who could not be broken, a fearless being with the ability to take challenge and obliterate it and then proceed to challenge others with her might. He learned what it really meant to be a hero; it wasn't a matter of thrill, it was a matter of life and putting one's life behind all others, a sacrifice he was willing to make but refused to let Artemis do the same, until now where she'd left him no choice. Artemis wanted to help and Wally's wasn't going to get in her way, she tried and that resulted in a boot to his face.

"If you're done looking at yourself in the mirror with a quizzical expression…" Dick's eyes narrowed.

"Quizzical, fancy," Wally said rather judgmentally, his face changed to match his tone although there was hints of playfulness on the ends of his lips that resisted a smile.

"Well see now your expression has changed, you took the quiz out of quizzical so now you're just zical." Wally chuckled, it had been a long time since his friend played with the English language and he took comfort from this.

"Did you find anything new, about the picture or the scarab or the ghosts, please tell me about the ghosts Velma." Dick laughed, gently pushing his friend, he preferred being compared to a nerdy female cartoon character over a dirty look brimming with hatred as Wally had been doing since he asked Artemis to take on the Tigress mantle.

"All I've got are a bunch of corrupted files, I can't ask Babs for help without telling her the whole plan-"

"And it's not like you're pushing her away like you did with Kory or anything by not including her." Wally ran his fingers through his hair, enjoying the feel of it on his fingers. His head smelled like apples, the very scent of Artemis's hair, he'd used her shampoo for the past few days.

"Right because you're the expert of relationships." Wally started to laugh and Dick knew his comment was pathetic. Artemis and Wally had been together for five years and within the last two they had not one major fight with one another. In fact out of all 5 years, there were about four big fights he could recall and each had to do with Artemis' past, once she learned to trust Wally fully heartedly those world war 3 battles ceased.

"Ok Wally, I misspoke but…"

"I know Dick, I know it's hard for you so let's just forget I said anything and focus on the magic voodoo, Scooby-doo nonsense going on."

"I've brought the files to the cave, I've got them locked up tight in the database, if you want we can go over them before the team gets back from their missions." Wally only nodded. Corrupted files were a pain to put back together if viruses were involved and considering the level of encryption had to be pretty high with a man like Kord behind it, it'd take a few days.

"If it's that bad, Kord must've really wanted to keep them out of the Light's hands, kind of like life and death type of thing, you know the one where our worlds are turned upside because a major plot of the villain starts to actually work and we're all screwed." Wally speeded to the doorway, Kent barked and Wally held his finger to his mouth. Marvin was supposed to watch him while he was away for a few days but the dog was restless. First Artemis disappeared and now Wally was leaving.

"He gave his life to protect them, I'm betting he was hoping Bruce would figure it out, doubt he knew the whole league would be gone by the time anyone found them." Dick petted Kent, rubbing his chin and scratching his ears, the dog calmed down enough to stop making noises but it looked like he was frowning.

"Why didn't Batsy find them?" Wally asked curiously, the question was a valid one. Batman was the world's greatest detective, very little got by him. The problem was he wasn't prone to share, even with his first protégé.

"He might have, he probably did but he what with M'gann's little revelation about the 16 hours he must not have finished them…but…"

"But he got started." Wally said with a smile. "Started" for Bruce meant a hell of a lot more than anything Dick had done. If anything, Bruce had at least bypassed the firewall to reach the files, then it would be a matter of decrypting them.

"I'll go to the lair, you're expected at Mount Justice remember? All hell breaks lose when Mama Nightwing isn't around to regulate things."

"I'll let Alfred know you're coming." The two had a little moment, pushing their fists into one another and then parted ways outside the apartment door. Wally speeded off but Dick lagged behind, not just because he lacked super speed that allowed him to run at the speed of sound but because he had neglected to tell Wally something. He'd gone back to Zatanna and asked about Artemis's drawing. The first time he'd asked, she really did say it was just Artemis drawing from memory out of boredom, but Dick hadn't bought it. The second time he'd gone to see her she resisted telling him the entire truth.

_"It was her own drawing Dick, she never saw it in my spellbook, I don't know how, but she had every detail down."_

_ "So what does that mean Z…" _He knew it wasn't anything good.

_ "It might mean Artemis was killed because of something bigger than just the battle, she might have very well been killed because of something they wanted to stop, something she has the power to do."_

Dick knew Artemis wasn't dead; the whole thing was a ruse that he had planned. Yet, he was worried, if there was a reason for wanting Artemis dead he was glad for all intents and purposes she was "dead." For now the lie would keep her safe, but with magic involved there would only be so long before someone discovered the truth about Artemis.

"Damn." Dick could only hope he found out what the drawing meant before it was too late.

…

Dick woke up to the sight of Tigress and Kaldur, the two looking down at him as if they were his lunch, especially Artemis with her new catsuit.

_Damn, she's like my catwoman, minus the actual action…_

"You're up."

"I'm up. Question, did you really need to kick me in the face, my cheek is swollen, and what was the straddle for, I wasn't getting up." He enjoyed it nonetheless, even with his head throbbing from every side and his back felt like someone had dumped iron sheets on it, a few ribs felt broken.

"I'm an actress," Artemis said smiling fondly at him. Kaldur coughed to bring them back, Dick was flirting, Artemis was playing along platonically more so than romantically if only to tease Dick, Gotham's favorite playboy.

"We have new information regarding the Light and its partner, we believe he goes by the name of Deathstroke, master assassin." Dick got up from the floor, tired and a bit woozy from Artemis kicking his ass earlier.

"Assassin?"

"I'm not buying it. Why the hell would a master assassin want to join forces with modern day Nazis? He's nothing but a hired hand, just like me." Artemis spat out the last bit, the words "just like me" in conjunction with someone who killed others, innocent or not, for cash made her sick and treaded a bit too close to a path she could have walked, the path Rose was on now. Deathstroke was everything her father was, an arrogant man with blood dripping out of every orifice. All he cared about was money; he shared her father's militaristic teaching style, Rose had gone through most of, if not all, the horrors Artemis had.

"Is he one of your father's associates?" Kaldur asked, he had meant to ask her earlier when he told her the news but keeping Nightwing out of sight on the ship proved difficult, they would have to reveal to the others he was their prisoner, that was what the Light wanted after all, but not before relaying some news to one another.

"At first I wasn't sure but now I remember clearly… I even asked my dad why he had one eye, the answer was a slap because I was interrupting Daddy's work." She rolled her eyes. There was silence after her comment; Artemis rarely talked about her past with anyone but Wally. She gave snippets of it to Dick but the sickening details were often locked away in her head for safe keeping, or rather for the insanity to brew until she boiled.

"All I know is Artemis," Kaldur gently touched her cheek in hopes she'd calm down, she let out a sigh and smiled softly, "is assigned to help him." Dick took in the new information as any Batkid would, word by word… explicating everything, analyzing connections that weren't directly stated, and looking for solutions.

"By the way, you're our prisoner." Artemis said, cuffing Dick's hands. He smiled, he shouldn't have but he couldn't stop himself. Artemis rolled her eyes but she was smiling too. Dick started to debate himself if now was a good time to tell Kal and Arty about the drawing, the implications it had with Ted Kord, the Light, the scarab… the scarab. The capture didn't exactly happen at an opportune time, what with Wally at the Batcave working on files, and Dick needing to speak with Jaime, well not so much Jaime but the little voice in his head.

"This was bad timing." Dick said, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Yeah well there's more, they've got Cassie. Not much I could do to stop Deathstroke's daughter from talking her down, the girl's good." Artemis spoke with pride in her voice, it had only been a short while since she met Rose, much of which was insults but she'd taken a liking to her and an almost protective role over the girl despite her screwed up sense of right and wrong.

"Daughter?"

"Her name is Rose and she goes by Ravager, that is all we know." Kaldur said with equal exhaustion. Playing the role of a villain was as hard on him as it was Artemis, despite having a fairly good childhood, the idea of working for his father, a man he barely knew, on the side of evil, shattered his own moral code and disrupted his sense of identity. With Tula gone and being the number one enemy of his former teammates, essentially his family, life seemed a lot like a paper house having water poured all over it.

"Alright so now we have two freshman being detained by the Light, La'gaan being an accident but Cassie was for purpose," Artemis had searched for where Rose had stashed Cassie but all the prisoner's rooms were empty save the pods with the children and La'gaan, "My guess, they wanted to use her for their experiments. If you think about it Gar's already mutated, M'gann and Conner are veterans so they wouldn't touch them, Blue Beetle's got that bug that never comes off and-"

"Blue Beetle. Are you sure they weren't after him?" Dick was going through the possible scenarios. Cassie was half god, whatever they had planned for the kids they were kidnapping, information he'd gotten from the Alpha squad, it had to do with the Light's larger plans for humanity. Maybe they were building some sort of army, using kids to test out…_meta-genes_.

"Holy crap."

"What is it?" Kaldur asked alarmed.

"He's had an epiphany." Artemis said waiting for Dick to continue.

"Meta-genes, that's what the Kroloteans called it, _meta-genes_. They were looking for that component, something that would activate superhuman abilities like Wally's hence the translation 'meta' as in '_beyond_' as in-"

"Beyond human capabilities, superpowers." Kaldur finished for him. He was familiar with such prefixes, they stemmed from the ancient Greek language.

"Okay that's the Kroloteans, working with the Light for reasons we don't get…from what M'gann said they're more like thieves than masterminds."

"Which suggests they are working for someone, perhaps the Light's real partner, perhaps the supplier my father and the others have spoken of." Kaldur stated, feeling confident in his conclusion.

"I have a feeling Bart would know, he hasn't told us everything, the kid's way too savvy to just be a tourist." Dick wasn't fazed by the role Bart played, as brilliantly acted as it was, the fact that he had come the day Neutron attacked Barry Allen's hometown was too coincidental for Dick to ignore.

Artemis was also speculating. If the Light was after Meta-genes, it would have been better to have kidnapped Gar, his genes were mutated, maybe some sort of human meta-gene had been activated in his genetic make-up… he'd be the perfect study. Cassie's powers came from more mystical forces, taking her was pointless. Dick took notice of Artemis expression, knowing where her thoughts had went, he nodded towards her in agreement.

"I believe I'm missing something here," Kaldur said as he was not quite on the same wavelength as his comrades.

"Whatever they have planned for Cassie has more to do with her lineage, her father's lineage than any experiment, I'm guessing another part of the puzzle that is the Light's plans." Dick tilted his head back; there were so many pieces to the story. Kord's files, Cassie's kidnapping, the kidnappings of the children, Artemis and her drawing and the aliens… he needed answers.

"Artemis," he decided holding back was the last thing he should do, "Do you remember that drawing you did, all those years ago, a doodle with lines and circles all in this intricate pattern, too many of each to say how many...?" Artemis' mouth fell open. What Dick described, however vaguely, was what she had seen on Rose's neck.

"Rose has the necklace with the same design, why… why are you asking?" Dick felt the urge to punch a wall, one more piece he couldn't put together.

"Great, there's a necklace? Fantastic, freaking fantastic." Artemis stepped closer to Dick, flicking the bruise on his cheek, he moaned but it did the trick.

"Sorry, I was asking because that design is from Zatanna's spellbook, it's also related to Ted Kord's death." Kaldur and Artemis groaned in unison, now they understood Dick's agony, the plot was thickening and they didn't like it one bit.

"Oh yes that is fantastic, Kord is involved now, and magic, science and magic, Wally would have field day." Artemis' mind went to her boyfriend; he'd be geared up by now, waiting at the cave…

"He's not there." Dick said. He knew the many expressions Artemis had, especially the one when she thought of Wally.

"Where the hell is he then?" Artemis asked aggravated.

"Batcave, working on Kord's files, most of the answers we need are in there." A noise was made outside, swords clashing. Artemis guessed Rose was at it with one of the guards again.

"We need to wrap this up." She whispered as Rose's cackle echoed in the halls.

"Lead the way Tigress." Artemis pulled Dick into another room, leaving Kaldur alone to think of all the new information. He knew Jaime needed watching if Kord was involved. He also questioned why the English translation, "meta-genes" used "meta" at all. The connection to an ancient language… whatever was at work he knew it had to be something that began long before anyone here was ever born.

"Quite a mystery." He whispered as he stepped into the hall, quite a mystery indeed.

…

"Don't play the God card here, I've called you for answers and you're not leaving until I get them and if you change the subject one more time I'm heading straight to the underworld to release all sorts of chaos and leave your name on the walls written in demon blood." Zatanna had her hands gripping her hips, she was furious with the person before her who'd been dodging her questions since his arrival with philosophical jargon. She wanted to punch the man in the face, well not so much a man as an angel, an annoying angel, annoying as hell.

"Very well," Spectre said, "What is it that you want from me?" Zatanna breathed in and out, focusing on her word choice. The angel of vengeance could easily manipulate his answers if she were not specific.

"My best friend Artemis Crock, she died recently." The Spectre made no change in facial expression although his hands did go up to protest what Zatanna had stated.

"I'm not finished. She drew a symbol, one from my book but there's no real description, all I knew is that it's old and it has something to do with you." She pointed accusingly at him with hand and pulled up a copy of the drawing in the other. Spectre put his hands down, looking at the image intently. He knew what it was although it had been some time since he had seen it.

"You wish to know why your friend was killed." Spectre spoke with austerity and finality. In his voice, Zatanna could hear thousands of years of wars, deaths and endings.

"Yes, and how I avenger her." It wasn't Zatanna's nature to speak in this way but her best friend had died and her death appeared to do with magic, her specialty. If she didn't do something about it, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Your mission is pointless." Specter was also a creature of fragments, making statements with explanations; Zatanna stepped closer, holding the drawing to his face.

"Artemis' life was not pointless, tell me what this means."

"It is pointless because she is not dead, although bringing this to my attention was the correct move." Zatanna lowered her hand, her eyes watery from the news.

_Artemis not dead?_

She had seen the body, the blood…she had asked Nightwing to show her because she couldn't believe it, not Artemis, what with all her gusto and no-nonsense attitude, death should be afraid of_ her._ She only believed it when she saw her friend's body, grown pale, no heartbeat… that was all a lie?

"What's the next move?" Zatanna asked raising her eyes to look directly at him, she was intimidating. Zatanna preferred to be kept in the loop, she had assumed Nightwing was looking into Artemis' death, but now it seemed he was part of it, or rather the act that was her death.

"First I tell you what that means."

"Go on."

"It's a symbol as old as time, the first drawing." Zatanna rolled her eyes exasperated by his drawn out answers even though he had just begun.

"Enough Spectre, tell me, how does this relate to Artemis?"

"It's a symbol that means _savior_, drawn years ago in hopes of calling upon one during dire times and one that has been drawn many times over throughout history." Spectre's hollow eyes with glowing pupils began to shine outward; Zatanna knew this to mean he was playing events in his head, most likely the drawings throughout time.

"Artemis is the savior?" she asked, for it was the first question that came to mind upon hearing Artemis and "Savior" a loaded word of danger as every savior has a nemesis.

"Artemis is the messenger." Spectre's eyes stopped glowing and he now looked concerned.

"It's you, the host isn't it?" Spectre nodded, only it wasn't so much the spirit of the angel but the host body the angel had taken responding to her. The angel of vengeance would always need a human body to occupy, although one with a mind and thus feelings, opinions.

"I'm sorry Zatanna, I wish I could help you more but he, _Spectre_ won't allow it, and we're needed elsewhere."

"At least tell me who the savior is? Or what needs saving or... or what Artemis being the messenger means?"

"I can only say Artemis will lead you to find the savior, if she dies all hope is lost." Zatanna threw her hands in the air, she had heard from plenty of magical beings "all hope is lost" over the years along with a string of other clichés. It came with the territory of being a sorceress.

"Alright, so keep Artemis alive even though I thought she was dead, and the savior, keep them alive too?"

"The savior cannot die by any means but age, it is Artemis you must look at for, the messenger is also-" Spectre paused, the angel was taking over now and with that the eyes glowed briefly before he disappeared altogether.

"Wonderful, protect Artemis even though I don't know where she or even _what_ exactly she is because for some reason she is part of something ancient and threatens the world."

Just another day in Zatanna's world. The magician rested her hand on her cheek, closing her eyes to process the news that her friend was not only alive but also part of something that related to the fate of humanity and possibly the universe.

"Okay Dick," Zatanna said reaching for the phone, "I'll start with your lying ass."


	5. Time

**Gah, I'm losing motivation to finish this story :C**

**I'm working now and I have school starting soon, plus AMVs to do (Collabs/MEPS), one-shots, my personal novel, Gotham Academy ;-;**

**I'm going to try my hardest to finish it before the next YJ episode, I SWEAR I SHALL TRY!**

* * *

"Well isn't this a pickle." After a night working on the bat computer, and deciphering several files at the cost of his sanity, nearly, Wally had come to the cave with news of just why the Light wanted Ted Kord killed; the reason being more than just one piece of alien tech. A red mark had surely formed on his forehead from the contant smack against the wall as he struggled to put the piece together some time in the earlier morning hours of four am when he'd reached the final file, one written in a language even the magnificent, all knowing, bat computer wasn't aware of.

Upon arriving, he was surprised to see the freshmen and veterans alike in a state of panic. From what he gathered by the frantic statements of Garfield, and the subtle glances between Conner and M'gann, Cassie and Nightwing were missing, no one knew why and Zatanna had her arms crossed with eyes that said "I'm going to slaughter a bird today."

When the young sorcerous spotted him, her eyes narrowed, her legs stalking closer to him, pulling him aside. If there was one thing Zatanna had learned in her days as a member of the team, Dick told Wally everything and vice versa.

"I know she's alive, so tell me what the hell is going on before I turn you into an amoeba." She was glowering. Wally bit his lip; he'd come to the mountain sulking, as expected, now that he saw everyone hyperventilating in some form or another, he was more annoyed. With his best friend most likely kidnapped, they would expect him to be in a rage, yet his mind needed to stay focused because the mission counted on him relaying the news somehow to Artemis, Dick or Kaldur.

"You can turn me into a single celled organism later Z," He gently pushed by her, walking back into the main room, "I have to talk to Jaime." Zatanna, never being one to be ignored, grabbed the back of his goggle strap just as Artemis had taught her, and pulled him back.

"No Wally, you tell me what I need to know now, what you were going to tell Dick, or I won't tell you what I found out about Artemis." Her name was his trigger. Hearing it from someone other than Dick reminded him of the façade, the role of a sorrow stricken boyfriend, the lie she was dead, the hope she'd return quickly and the terror that the ploy would turn real…

"Short version," he gave in far too quickly, "I've got some of Ted Kord's files, once about the scarab, why he was killed, and from what I understand, we've got people from the future who'll be after the little voice in his head." As they spoke, Zatanna, peaked her head over the wall to see him, the young boy with his hands in his pockets, irrevocably concerned over his missing teammates, especially Cassie who most knew he had a bit of a crush on. He looked so tiny, standing in between Conner and Mal, like a lost puppy searching for its owner and finding strangers instead. Zatanna didn't like the idea that he was involved; she'd sense something mystical about him, believing it to be his powers, later on their was discussion that his abilities came from the alien that clung to his back, a thought that made her cringe. Even with the oddity of how he became a hero, he was still a hero, a boy thrust into the position by unusual circumstances… no, not coincidences, by fate, she knew that better than anyone. Now his future was at the mercy of the Light's plans, and it was up to her to stop any harm that would come to him. Of course she also had the duty of making sure Artemis made it to whoever the savior was. Days like this she questioned how she ended up with all these duties, if maybe it was Fate's cruel way of getting back at her for all the spells she'd casted to free her father.

"He doesn't know, does he? You and Dick never told him what is really was?" The team had grown in many ways, one was secrets. Just as the league, the older members of the team were prone to hide things, not so much from one another, with the exception of the latest escapade, but from the adults. Even when they reached the legal age, they began relying so heavily on their psychic link that few words were passed by mouth, especially on missions. It didn't surprise her that they'd kept this secret from Jaime; he was on the team and still an outsider.

"You know he doesn't," Wally said with a snarky undertone, "it doesn't matter now, the goal is to get it off of him and somewhere safe where no one can get to it." Wally did his best to keep the tremor in his voice to a simmer. From what he'd read, the scarab had been a major component of the Light's plan; all these years they were dormant were not for nothing, they were searching for it, they killed for it, and now it was in the hands of a teenager.

"And what's that got to do with your mission, if the Light's not after-"

"The Light _is_ after it, from Kord's research I learned that he took it to protect it, not sure why, the last bit of information was in a language I couldn't understand, not even the batcomputer knew what it was." He pulled out a paper from his pocket, a copy of the all the signs, handing it to her briskly. If she were distracted enough over it, he could grab Jaime and zip out, from there he had no idea where to go, what to do…

"I know what it says, or well means." Zatanna's voice sounded huskier than usually, she was touching the edges of the paper, counting each time a symbol appeared. It wasn't an exact language, more like directions with each picture representing something that had to be done and she had an awful eerie feeling that the duty she needed to fulfill was that of an eye seen on the paper. It meant "reader." She now knew what Artemis would have to do, at least the next step.

"You have to take me to her Wally, as soon as possible." Before Wally could demand she tell him what the paper said, there was a loud crash from the main room, and then the unmistakable sound of an arrow splicing the air. He recognized it, so adamantly that his feet moved before he could comprehend what the sound meant. As his feet skidded across the floor and he came to a spluttering stop, he saw her, the gold hair falling over her shoulders, the mask they made together on a surge of red bull, playing 80s pop music in the background, pretending it was for a Halloween costume and not for a life he wanted them both to leave behind. Her gray eyes were brilliant under the mask, and her olive skin glimmering under the lights. The ache he had to touch it… to kiss her cheek, her forehead, her lips, her hands, every inch and forget the weeks without her, to hold her, to love her, to be them instead of just him; alone.

"Did you take them?" M'gann said in a deadpan voice. Her expression was maniacal and the way she moved was like a ghost, stepping closer to her, each bit forward heightened the threat she posed. There was nothing he could do or say to stop her, the powerful Martian of unparalleled psychic abilities, but if exposing her meant saving her…

"Ezeerf emit." The incantation made the whole room still. With the clack of her heels beating down, Zatanna extended her arm forward and touched the speedster, unfreezing him, the gloss over his pupils faded into confusion and then gratefulness.

"And there's my necklace." Zatanna gestured to what she saw was a raven-haired woman, pale as snow, in a tiger get-up she found more humorous than scary. She'd let Dick believe he'd seduce her into giving it to him, the necklace that is. There past history of on and off flirtation, stolen kisses and midnight strolls were his fuel, of course she'd do him little favors like this, if only to make him think he had the upper-hand…

"She can't stay, she's a fighter, she's strong but M'gann…" It was no secret that over the years M'gann had grown colder against the enemy. It came from her self-blame, the guilt of not stopping Queen Bee when she had the chance and because of what she believed to be her greatest mistake, Gar lost his mother. As time had gone on, the team learned to live with these tragedies, losing those close to them, their family members to their surrogate family, the team… and those an extension of that team. It was the greatest fear of a hero, that their choice would take away those they loved, and for Wally he understand M'gann's change for it was that darkness he resisted for Artemis who he knew, deep down inside, never wanted to take off the mask.

"You take her, I'll take him. At ten tonight we'll meet where the willow tree is, Artemis will know what it means." Zatanna spoke with authority that betrayed the typical light hearted mischief she had in all her annunciations. Wally didn't object, nor hesitate. He was at her side in an instant, pulling her close him, gasping as if he were in a dream he wished would come true… and here it was, reality.

"What are you going to tell them?" He asked, picking Artemis up in his trademark bridal style.

"I'll figure it out as I go." She went to Jaime, waiting for Wally to speed out so that she could let time continue, the very notion throwing Wally off entirely.

"When did you learn to freeze time?" The question made her snicker. Zatanna was both admired and feared by most magical beings as one of the strongest sorceresses of the century, her powers already surpassing her father's and rivaling 's.

"You wouldn't believe me , keep in mind it's a spell I can only use three times a year, lest I collapse over it." She rolled her eyes remembering that some spells could knock her out from sheer power unlike the lord of Order, that being his upperhand.

"Whatever you say Z." He winked, or she thought he winked; he was gone before she had her next blink.

* * *

"So you're Nightwing, the former boy wonder, Batman's ward, what my peers always talk about… the great acrobat… the ladies man…" Rose sat with the back of chair against her chest, her legs spread out and her arms rested on her knees. She had a devilish grin on her face with Dick tied and chained against the wall. For her, it was a toy to play with, although with her father watching, as well as the Light's partner, the man she called cockroach, watching too, she couldn't let her hormones carry her over.

Dick only made a face, biting his tongue in hopes of repressing his chatty nature and the butchering of words with an abundance of witty quips he often said to lighten the mood. It was Artemis's warning of caution that had him silent. From what she told him, Rose was smart and favored by the Light. Even with all his training, there was a small chance she could get something out of him, something small that at the time of saying it would mean nothing, but Rose was a strategist of words too and could spin one word into a confession if she so desired. It was what made her great. She was not just an assassin, a master in murder, she knew how to trick people, to twist things around. He wouldn't be surprised if she had people killed with misunderstandings she'd started using her slick tongue.

"Strong, silent type huh? That's okay because I've got a lot to say." She proceeded to crack her knuckles and neck, swinging her white hair to the side, and leaned her chair closer to him, smiling.

"Wanna hear a story birdie?" She touched his mask gently. From her father's exploits, she knew the batfamily had a nice little set-up with their identities, trying to pull a mask off meant getting electrocuted endlessly, but she liked to tease, moving her finger to his nose and pushing it forward.

"So you know the Light? I work for them, youngest member at 15. I know what you're thinking, 'she must be damn good' hell yeah I am! But you wanna know what else? Despite these rosey cheeks," She pinched hers for emphasis, "I'm a cold blooded killer, born and raised. So if I want, I can slice your neck… or" She twisted his nose, a crack ringing out, snapping the bone that lined upwards from the nostrils. He didn't make a sound but his fingers twitched.

"I could just break your bones, one by one." Kaldur was behind the screen, calculating various scenarios that would explain why the interrogation should be cut short. It seemed to be a recurring pattern between him and Artemis and at these odds, Dick and Wally. To keep on the charade and still protect one another proved difficult when they were suppose to be on opposing sides. Now he stood with his hands behind his back, wondering how far the young girl would go for the information his father wanted, as well as why she had been chosen above all the skilled people on this ship to get such information.

While he did not have the latter answer, he had finally been briefed, minutes before the interrogation began; the purpose of Dick's kidnapping was first and foremost to scare the team. The Light knew of their home, and they could come at any time, that idea should be enough to make them abandon the area. It was the small bit of information that was the secondary task, how to catch a certain league member.

Why Cassie had been taken wasn't really explained, only that she was needed for the Light's latter plans. He'd gone to check on her since she was imprisoned, the vibrations of her blows could be felt throughout the ship as she tried to escape. Binding her was useless, but the steel surrounding her was enough to hold. The girl was indeed a powerhouse, but what purpose could she serve to them as anything but muscle?

"So sir, are you gonna tell me what I want to know." Rose had her hand against his chest, pushing it into the wall, her fingers moving against his ribs, ready to crack them if his answer wasn't to her liking.

"You haven't really asked a question." He said, returning her smile. There was blood dripping from his nose now and onto the black of his costume. The material had it sliding down onto the floor and his teeth were coated in it as he showed her how big his grin could get. She touched the red, smearing it on his cheeks and laughing.

"That's very true Nightwing," She wiped the blood on her knees, "Tell me handsome, Zatanna Zatara, how do we capture her?"

* * *

Once he'd left the mountain, she unfroze, her body already relaxed in his grip, her mind not questioning where she was because she knew who she was with. The red hair a blur, the arms of yellow sleeves under her legs and her arm and the sunlight reflecting off the red frames of his goggles. All the small details like the shape of the lightning bolt, the lining of his chest, the rigid torso and peak of freckles under the mask were recurring parts in her dreams. So often had she been in his arms that she could count how fast his heart beat without listening for it.

Artemis reached up to touch his chin, he missed a step, the warmth of her fingers pressed against him made him ache, but he didn't fall. So many years in this position had created a particular feel he naturally responded to out of instinct, condition to recognize her in this way, his body against hers was more like a matter of muscle memory, the way she pushed herself up to wrap her arms around his neck, the firmness of each place they touched, almost as if an impression from having been there so many times.

When he finally stopped, at the end of the city, he laid her down carefully on the pavement in a back corner of a bakery. The aroma of freshly baked bread made her stomach growl, she hadn't eaten in a day. She began to pull of her mask, wondering if she could somehow sneak inside for bread and pay later, or perhaps the scent alone could hold her. Back in the cave, M'gann had sensed her, pulling her down through the wall. Her body was crying out in all it's bruises but her hungry quieted in the soreness.

"Wally do you have-" He cut her off with his lips, his hands grasping her back, pulling her closer into his own body, remembering how the concaves of her shape felt against his, like puzzle pieces softened and worn. There was a desperation on the skin and a thrashing on the tongue, one out of passion and annoyance. She wanted to yell at him for being so stupid and reckless, both characteristics she was well aware of since their first meeting and accepted fully at their first kiss in the watchtower. If she could kick herself she would because she was just as bad, just as raw, wanton and gave equal loving movements of _I love you, I miss you, I need you, I want you._

They ended up against the brick wall, the grim and dirt of the city streets scratched against it and the stench of rotting garbage more apparent as a trashcan lid was knocked off, falling once he hoisted her up. It could have gone for days if not for Artemis, always the one to stop when the time wasn't right, and being in her Tigress costume, her necklace still intact, for any person choosing to walk by, a bystander with their dog or children being let out of school, the possibilities were limitless and frightening. Kidflash kissing a girl in a tiger costume would surely get around, the potential photographs someone could take just to get a few hundred dollars…

"Wally." She had broken the kiss but now his lips were going down her chin. She threw her hair over her face to block him, if only to get his attention.

"Please let me have this." His arm was at the arch of her back, his middle finger and pointer finger running up and down her spine.

"Not today Baywatch," She let herself go down, with her feet on the ground she grabbed his chin, kissed his cheek and led him farther into the alley. When she felt safe in the darkness, he tried to grab her again, instinct took over, as well as the typical play flirtation she had with him, and her hand snapped his arm back behind him. There had to relay information, she had to tell him about Dick and Rose, and there was also the question of how they escaped. Her bet was on Zatanna. Once Dick gave her the necklace she knew the girl would find out, having being best friends for all these years she was well aware that Dick's methods never really worked on her, she was too smart for that.

"Okay Wallace, where do we go from here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wally didn't want to go back to the mission, he wanted to taunt her, tease her like they always had over the years. For the moment, the mission didn't exist.

"Wally." She knew where he was going.

"To the bedroom!" She had to marvel in the moment; with the stakes so high he still found time to joke. It was just like old times.

_Before things got so damn complicated_.

* * *

The speedster and his archer arrived at ten in the lowly lit stage room of what once was the show house called "The Willow Tree." The floors creaked, the air was musty and dust flew here and there as the currents of the air changed with their steps. In the front row seats, they saw them, Zatanna and Blue, the latter looking frightened beyond relief.

"He's up to date." Zatanna said and Wally replied the same regarding Artemis. It was her turn to explain what she knew. She regaled them about Rose, Deathstroke, the necklace and how she'd spoken to Dick earlier. Not one of them knew why he'd been taken nor Cassie, but each agreed, well Wally, Zatanna and Artemis agreed, that fate was being quite funny, throwing Artemis into the middle of the strange title, "messenger."

Jaime remained in his seat with his fingers pushing into the cushion of the armchairs. He'd never felt worthy of the scarab; for all the bickering the two had over lethal methods versus that which was sane by human standards, he knew it was a powerful weapon to wield. Having it was a mistake, being a hero was an accident and while he was in awe of all the legends that made up the team, the league, he never felt like he fit in because a hero's life was not his choice; the hero's way was one he was far from. Callow, young and always second guessing himself, he now sat with the growing fear of what the future would hold.

"So where do we go from here?" Artemis asked, feeling a wave of déjà vu as Wally tightened his grip on her hand.

"Well you'll need to keep up whatever it is you were doing, the team is still frozen back at the mountain, I realized someone might be watching us and with you missing it'd be suspicious, don't tell me I told you so West." Zatanna twisted her bowtie to say she was savvier than he.

"Except they were calling me back." Artemis said, cutting off the possible altercation that was to occur between the magician and the scientist.

Hours before this meeting, Wally had speeded her back to their quiet little apartment in Palto Alto, leaving her only once to buy her fresh croissants, buttering them smoothly for her, smirking at the crumbs all over those full lips of hers… She hadn't returned, and in the Light's mind she was missing.

"Time for plan B," Wally said, "Z, can you cast a spell that'll make her look beat up, bruised? Cause we're gonna need it to be convincing." He knew the only way they'd accept her being gone this long was if she looked like she'd put up a fight, that someone else had gotten a hold of her and she fought her way out, heck, there was even a part of him completely disillusioned, wondering if they could pretend even more and have "Tigress" kill kidflash just so he could play zombies with her. It wasn't a completely useless thought, it would build her credit with the Light...

"Beat up the messenger, oh I hope I don't get punished for this." Zatanna was giggling, with her arms raised and her lips mumbling as the words aligned in seconds.

"Wait," Artemis pulled her hands back down, there were still a few things unclear to her, things she hadn't fully processed, "before you go all make-up artist crazy, can you explain to me what the signs Wally gave you mean? You said you had to read them to me, directions right?"

"Right." Zatanna said, a hand on her hip, and her left foot tapping.

"So… what are they?" Artemis remembered the drawing, all those years ago... years. It seemed as though that word kept coming back to her, reflecting on the past and all the time between then and now. She was no stranger to taking up unusual roles and while she was doubtful that she was this "messanger" she wasn't going to argue about it. Her boyfriend can break the sound barrier, her best friends included a sorcerous and a martian, she'd met ghosts and other supernatural beings. If there was one thing she learned, it was to suspend one's belief and often.

"From what I understand, the savior is 'one of two', and the messenger, that's you, has to tell them what to do, and whatever that something is…you were born with it. The last piece was a song, sing the song and you'll find the savior." Artemis groaned. It seemed that was always the case, nothing was ever plainly stated, it was always a bunch of riddles to decipher along with the weight Atlas carried to make the right choices, do the right thing, and with little direction to take someone there. She started thinking it over, the idea of knowing what to do, how to save the world and laughed because what she needed was a threshold guardian to teach her a valuable lesson that would carry her to the right path, it's the last thing she heard in class, a class she'd need to retake again with others. All the things she'd given up... and above it all, she had no idea what song to sing, she wasn't even much of a singer...

_Life hates me._

"Any idea what 'one of two' means?" She couldn't linger on what was, she had to focus on now. She wanted this, the thrill, the rush. It was fate making it complicated for her but she wasn't the type to reject the hero's call, no it's everything she worked to have.

"The savior is two of something," Zatanna tapped her chin, "Maybe, or maybe there's two saviors and you have to put them together?" Zatanna couldn't really give an educated guess. Knowing the language was one thing, it was only found in her father's books, ones passed down from generation to generation to homo magis. There was no name for it and it took a lot of practice to read it; it was said no other race but that of her people could do it.

"Alright Z, make me look like hell, and as for Jaime," It was the first time she bothered to look at him. Wally had mentioned before just how small he looked and indeed there was a tininess about him, the brown puppy eyes did it, "Take him to Fate's realm, he'll be safe there."

"Not if Klarion has anything to say about it." Wally was always the realist.

"Zatnna will protect him." Artemis said, worried Jaime would have a panic attack with that little revelation. Klarion was the lord of chaos, an enemy of Fate's. He's broken into his fortress before…

"Will do." She responded, crossing her arms for she knew any priorities she used to have were secondary to Jaime. If the Light wanted what he had they couldn't let him have it, especially with this mess of savior and messenger. It didn't help seeing Wally and Artemis like this, reunited and soon to be torn apart again. If anything was fated it was the two them; her father had rubbed off on her that way what with his blood now running with that of the lord of order who saw everyone's fate but his own; surely he'd seen theirs, a touch of destiny to the two that most couldn't explain. The way they looked at each other, in such agony… she closed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

_ Fate, you're an a**._

* * *

She'd lost count of how many times she'd hit the steel, her own hand going red from every blow. She was disoriented, not knowing the time, not knowing how many hours had passed. She threatened and hissed, snarled and screamed but no one spoke to her, one tray of food slipped to her and that was the extent of her contact with another living being.

Diana had warned her about being captured, the trick to escaping being to find a weak point in one's surrounding whether it was a rusted spot on the bars of a prison or the purple bags of a sleepy guard that could be fooled easily. But here there was no one, nothing to see but silver glowering at her as if there was a sun in the room. But it wasn't the idea of being captured that she feared, no it's what they would find out in holding her. Cassie had a secret, one she hadn't told a soul, not even Diana, one she had hoped to keep to her dying days.

As a child she learned the danger and vowed to never speak of it in hopes of preventing the misuse of it. It was something she couldn't explain and so she buried it in the recess of her mind, using mental power to will it away. But the truth was always there.

Cassie Sandsmark was a sheerer, not one from touch and not one of spontaneous visions. She was one who could see a scenario as it was now with all the choices made, like a story in her head. If one were to tap into her mind, they'd read it like a book and make changes to the future. She was safe from most people except for psychics. The practice in hiding her secret kept her safe, the power was almost nonexistent with ten years of pretending it wasn't there. Now in the hands of others, she feared she'd finally be exposed.

"I'm screwed." She said, banging her head into the wall. It was the secret she worked so hard to protect, and now that she was in the enemy's hands, there was nothing she could do if they used it for their benefit, nothing but fight that is.

_And I'm a hell of a fighter…_


	6. Soldier

There's a phrase in Vietnamese her mother often said in desperate times when she feared the worst, when she was afraid for her life. In all the chaos that had now become the world around her she could hear the phrase, the syllables, the tongue moving to make the sounds and yet the exact words wouldn't come to mind. It was hard to think of anything when she spotted Dick's bruised body, the work of Rose who was now grabbing her arm, shouting to move, to go, to leave her friend behind.

The sirens were going off as Rose snapped the lock; whatever had happened in the interrogation had her wanting to run and for some reason she was insisting Artemis… no Tigress, come with her. Rose was frightened, panic on the edges of her eyes but a thrill played on her cheekbones and eyelashes.

"What happened?" Artemis said, the words coming from the back of her throat where a weight seemed to lay, trying to block the air to her lungs.

"Well you see Kitty, it seems things got a bit out of hand and if I don't get out now…" Before Rose could finished she unlocked the doors, a flood of water rushing in. She reached for Artemis's hand and pulled her into the water. Now it was Artemis's turn to panic, the darkness, the stillness. Under the water there was no noise, only the rushing of blood. She was petrified as their bodies floated up higher and higher, Rose kicking furiously and Artemis's finally summoning up enough sense to do the same.

Back on the ship Kaldur had moved to pick up Dick's body, trying to carry him to safety before the room filled with water. Kaldur's breathing was labored as he threw Dick over his shoulder and turned the corner to the escape pods, each one malfunctioning the longer he took From what he'd gathered, Dick wouldn't give away any information, but Rose had grown impatient, knocking him unconscious. Two minutes after that Black Beetle had arrived asking for Rose's necklace. Rose refused and with that all hell broke loose.

On the surface of the water, Rose and Artemis were swimming to shore, or at least trying to, they were in the middle of the ocean, in the dark of the night with the Light after them, or soon to be. Despite the confusion Artemis seethed, letting out various curse words; she'd just spent the past few weeks working to protect a cover that in a matter of minutes was destroyed and not for her own identity, not for Artemis, no, for a rogue assassin running off with a fellow assassin.

"Where the hell are we going?" Artemis said in between coughs, the sea water had gotten in her nose and burned her throat. Her eyes stung from the salt. So many questions of how, what and why and yet Rose wasn't kind enough to offer answers.

Down in the ship, Kaldur had disabled the cameras, not with any coding, that would give away his position, but instead he sliced with knives the metal bindings of the ceiling, every other second turning to to Dick, watching to see if his chest still moved or if he'd let another team member die on his watch. Kaldur, didn't have time to wipe the sweat on his brow, not with the water still rushing in. His priority was safety for the prisoners, and doing so in a way that didn't break his cover, being the only one left with a cover to protect. For reasons he could not fathom Artemis was gone and that only added to the questions. The debacle that happened was uncharacteristic of Rose, she was a daddy's girl after all and when her father, Slade, asked her to stop after three days of interrogating, she refused.

In that time, Cassie had been sedated, Artemis had spoken to Kaldur about Zatanna's information regarding the Savior, the messenger and so on. They both agreed the Light was after Zatanna because she was probably the only person on Earth who could read the mystery language. This bit of information had been in the files, or so Wally said after sending one last transmission. They were after a seer and a reader, both meant little to the team until now where the reader was revealed and yet the seer was not...

"Kaldur!" Black Manta called out his son's name as he ran to him, gesturing to those around him to move left and right, all trying to fix the ship before it sunk into the depths of the ocean, a tragedy Kaldur alone could survive. Kaldur had already thought once about it, sinking the ship and all the others with a few press of buttons in the control room, killing of Black Manta's entire fleet, what good was he now that he knew the Light's partner, that was the mission before all the complexities came about. Although there was the matter of Black Beetle, a man who'd try to abandon them all, a man who was close to knowing Kaldur's heart for it was Black Beetle who knew just what the scarab was for, having arrived from the future to stop the savior altogether and secure his position over the people in said future.

After having spoken to the man for five minutes, Kaldur already loathed him. He was a vicious character only concerned with his plans and cared little for those around him. Black Manta's redeeming quality was the love for his son but just like all the others in the Light, Black Beetle had a superiority complex that needed correction.

"Father, what's happening?" Kaldur was cool and calm, struggling to add the needed urgency in his voice. He'd push Dick's body back with his leg, into another room and out of sight from his father who'd surely have him killed if he spotted him.

"Prisoners are escaping," he paused to survey the room. The lights flickered as if the wires had been singed by the waters, or cut by a stowaway…

"We have a traitor." His father said and as expected, Kaldur nodded slowly, careful to restrain the wrinkles in his youthful face from revealing too much. His father gently put his hand on Kaldur's shoulder, tightening the grip in hopes of reassuring him their plans would go on. It was also a way of a father letting his son know he believed Kaldur was trustworthy. It was all in Black Manta's eyes, the promise of a father to stick up for him should anyone question his motives. It left Kaldur choking on saliva and struggling with a guilty conscious. The moment was broken by the angry voice of Slade, stomping towards them

"Where's my daughter!"

…

Zatanna clapped her hands as the swarm of gold mist moved in her direction. The tower had been safe for all of day, and then the attack. It wasn't a simple one, no it was no ordinary battle between two supernatural beings. Klarion had brought with him the army of the underworld. Each soldier's skin fell to their sides in folds as they lunged their swords closer to her and from all sides of the tower.

"Back off skinny!" Zatanna shouted rising upward and losing herself into the maze where up was down and down was sideways. Close by was the lord of chaos, hoping to slip in and wrap a charm around her mouth as she uttered one phrase after the other. She swerved into a cloud and then into a next room where Jaime stood, blue armor and all. Her hair stuck to her face as the sweat dripped down her neck. She could barely breathe, her voice sore from all the spells she'd casted within the last ten minutes. It was endless, one after the other right along with the questions, the latest being how Klarion convinced Hades of all people to hand over his army.

"You need to go now." She lifted her hands, her head to the sky as she focused on her next spell but Jaime already had his finger to her lips. Zatanna made a face, confused by the touch and annoyed that her concentration had been broken.

"I'm not running ." She shook her head immediately, stepping back to cast another spell, it was cut short by the sound of crackling bones sneaking their way in through the room's portal. One after the other they marched, each reaching for Jaime, trying to pull him back.

"They want the scarab." Zatanna whispered, really it was her way of sorting out the many tangents of this puzzle. Her mind went to the book, the translations, she tried to read them, understand and yet she came up short. Words like the undead, the scarab, the messenger and the savior all jumbled together in a flow of irrelevant phrases and riddles. Now they'd come, the Light had come with unprecedented help and she, as powerful of a sorceress as she was, couldn't handle them all, at least not with having to worry about Jaime's safety.

"If you stay you give them what they want, if you go, you buy me time and keep that," she pointed gestured up and down, emphasizing his whole figure, the blue, the voice in his head was all they'd come for, "they want it, hell knows why but they do."

Jaime shook his head. In the night he'd spent in the tower laying on a mattress, a bed that was not his own, not his home he'd missed his family, questioned his motives and at the young age of 15 began to have an identity crisis. One hour after the other he battled with the voice, the scarab in right and wrong, the essentiality in battle, the blood and sweat, the sacrifice of a hero.

_It's necessary._

The scarab always used that excuse, that actions had to be done for this and that, always for the slaughter but that wasn't Jaime and in his philosophical notions of what a hero was, he'd come to the conclusion that the voice in his head wasn't his conscious, no he was the conscious and now he asked to take a stand against the army heading towards him.

"I'm not running… Ted… Ted would have fought… right?" The bones of the dead creeped across the floor, letting out moans of war wounds. It was eerie to turn and expect a face of anguish only to see a skull, Zatanna stepped farther back as Jaime stood firm, his arms out prepared to shoot.

"He was a good man…" She said slowly as the image formed in her head, not just that of Ted's death but the way in which he died. Not shot with a gun, not stabbed with a knife… it was have been simple to send an assassin… they'd sent Klarion instead. Her theory that is what with all the psyche energy left on the corpse… she remembered it well, the inhuman concaves of his torso and legs…

"Watch out!" Jaime called as his hand changed swiftly into a beam, shooting down Zatanna's attacker. She hissed, her eyes glowing with her hands stretched outward in concentration. The pieces were slipping into place, her very role in the whole matter, more than the reader, no something greater than anything she could have fathomed before, before when her mind was blocked by all the confusion, the mystery. Now she could see clearly who the savior was.

She reached for Jaime's arm pulling him to her own body, as she whispered a spell into the air and the two vanished from the tower. Within a few seconds they were in Ted Kord's home, their nostrils filling with the scent of mothballs and coffee beans, all in the aroma of the counters and furniture of the man's home. The word "man" was not lost on Jaime, it was the very title he tried to achieve in every action, every choice he made and once again he was reminded of how little he had done to earn his manhood. He was still a boy, a boy that fate had made a mistake with, giving him this powerful weapon... and all he'd done, all he tried to do kept coming up short, paling in comparison with the heroes, especially the fallen.

"Why here?" Jaime mumbled the question. He wanted to believe his anger came from leaving the battle but he was always the practical kind, knowing his limits. There, that's what it was... limits.

_I'm so damn limited._

"Stop with the pity party kid and look for a brown book, a really old looking brown book." Zatanna's stress level had rose to an alarming high, so high in fact she was actually starting to worry about the future.

"What's it for?" Jaime asked, finding the silence between him and the space around him too loud for his taste, loud in the sense of the dead who had once walked the halls of his abandoned home.

"Kord found it, years ago... I remember when I got the call from Batman, my father... I mean couldn't translate it, the helmet of Nabu blocked the senses of a homo magi and they needed me..." The pauses in Zatanna's words made her sentences drone on and on. Jaime's body tensed in the darkness as the scarab scanned for whatever it was she looked for, oddly enough it seemed to be at equal understanding as the magician. Since they'd arrived, it had been muttering phrase after, phrase, all mixed words from various languages as if the thing had been losing its mind.

"Ms.Z, why is the scarab... acting up?" By now they'd entered the library of the mansion, an abundance of books from all over the world, some dating back to ancient times. Zatanna whispered yet another spell and rose up, closing her eyes to think properly. Her mind took her back to one event, years ago, back when Fate hadn't claimed her father, long before she learned all the magic, fought in all the raging wars of the supernatural realm. One night on Halloween when she met a man who called himself... Harm.

…

Dick leaned against the wall, a metal wall so cold and slick that is exposed flesh rubbed and slipped against it as he struggled to keep himself steady and standing. The beating he'd taken was far worse than most in his life, his only solace was in the very idea that Rose, a girl of 15, had been the torturer.

Outside he heard the yelling of Black Manta's men, each securing a different captive on board while simultaneously repairing wires and draining the ship of water. Whatever had happened he knew Rose was at fault. As cunning as she was, Rose was still very much a child, one who'd grown up far too fast and used humor as safetynet, much like Wally had, to cope with the reality of the world. For Wally it'd been the deaths of their team, their family...

His rib began to throb, as if a crowbar had been struck against it, repeatedly...

"Where's my daughter!" He could hear the raspy voice of Slade reverberating across the rooms, filled with rage. He could careless about the assassin, his primary concern was reaching Cassie and the other captives, helping them escape before the Light had their way with them, whatever that meant. He cringed at the thought knowing the Light was this Nazi like committee of supervillains, their goal being to kill the weak and recreate humanity in their image. It wasn't even a matter of survival of the fittest, no it was their belief they were the strongest, the best of what life itself had to offer. His lungs sucked in air to laugh but his rib pain sent him into a coughing fit. He closed his eyes and a flash of fire crosses his pupils.

It was a nightmare he wanted leave behind, the nightmare, the fight about right and wrong, the fight about children... about being a hero.

_How young does someone have to be to die?_

Dick's pace quickened as he stepped out of the room Kaldur had hidden him in, listening for the others as he pushed himself against the wall. He didn't know the floorplan of the ship, not this particular ship anyway. Since the mission began, Kaldur slipped him the blueprints for all of the Light's layers, one by one until their last meeting where they'd given him the coordinates to the Light's next destination, a remote location in the deserts of Egypt. He'd searched for it on maps, even the Batcomputer but the place couldn't be found. Another mystery in the grand scheme of the Light.

"LET ME OUT OR I SWEAR TO HERA I WILL KICK ALL OF YOUR ASSES!" Despite the thick walls caging the demi goddess, her voice was loud and clear to him and the tone of it had him smirking. He inched his way closer until he was a few feet away from her screaming and punching...

"Shut-up!" A guard yelled as he stabbed his own weapon into the door. Dick slipped into the water that remained in the halls, holding his breath and saying a silent prayer to whatever deity would listen that the blood from his open wounds wouldn't give away his position. One second after the other, he counted, trying to keep the air in the airoles of his lungs for as long as possible, if only to keep the pain that came with breathing at bay.

"My father's in need of your assistance." Kaldur's cool voice came from the corner, he stepped into the hall with the sharpness of a shark and the face of a predator. It was the expression he wore day after day in hopes of keeping up the charade, the wickedness that did not exist in his soul. Day after day he played the role without complaint, always working to keep his team safe for though Dick had taken the title of leader, Kaldur was still in charge and with the soldier mentality in his heart and in his blood, every minute was one he'd prepared to take the fall, the blame and offer his life to protect them all.

"Sir, with all do respect, she's going to tip the ship over if she doesn't-"

"Did I stutter?" The henchman nodded and turned his attention to the water still flooding in from the left end of the ship. Without a word he walked out and Kaldur watched steadily, waiting until the minion was out of sight. Once he was sure, he reached his hand down into the water, lifting his friend up and wrapping his arm around Dick's torso.

"Take her and go, there's a pod waiting for you that way." Kaldur gestured directly behind him where the very pod he spoke of lay.

"And..." Dick coughed leading Kaldur to gently drop him back into the water, opening the door of Cassie's cell and then taking off into the opposite direction, his act was not over, not with so many questions over what Cassie was doing here, what Kord's involvement or Artemis's. No, it was time to play the dutiful son of a murderer, the guilt that came from the lie had two ends. One of a hero touching the ends of the dark madness that comes with those who choose to be a villain, and that of a son lying to his father. Regardless of his father's actions, there was still flesh and blood between them.

_Regardless, I must free La'gaan and the others before the ship sinks._

"Boss!" Cassie had fallen into the water as soon as the door opened, her hair flung over her face and in between the gasps was a perky, pearled smile reaching for Dick's hand. Dick smirked once again, taking her hand only to have the smile fade as he realized her knuckles were bloody and bruised. Like a caged animal she'd fought to escape, it was then he realized her voice was hoarse, most likely from the screaming.

His expression became stern, the similarities between then and now, children begging to escape, to get out, it wasn't their time...

"Boss?" Cassie flicked Dick's forehead, hoping to get his attention, hoping he'd already formed a new plan to get them out, or at least kick some asses, she'd been craving a good fight for sometime, not just from behind held up like a dog but because her last fight ended with her being captured, by a white haired girl with no powers; it was horribly embarrassing. Still, in this moment the past didn't matter because she was with Dick Grayson, her leader, the man she followed and would follow anywhere, she was his soldier and he was the commander, that's the way she'd come to know it, and loved it.

"Sorry Cass." Dick rubbed his eyes, blurring the fire, the explosions, the laughter of a young boy shouting "This is the best day of my life" all gone, buried in the back of his memory along with the expression of his mother as she fell to her death, and his tiny hands reaching for him similarly to the way Cassie had gripped Dick's arm, helping him move one step at a time.

"Where to?" She said enthusiastically, even in dire situations where Dick could barely stand, where they were surrounded, Cassie still managed to find joy in the situation, she was impulsive like that.

"That pod, over there." He grunted as she lifted him upward, smiling at the thought that she, little girl Cassie, was carrying _the _Dick Grayson in her arms. Once they'd reached the pod, flipped the door and took their seats, Dick had finally refocused to the task at hand, letting go of painful memories in favor of the mission. There was a shiver in his bones knowing it was dehumanizing in a sense, to forget for the sake of the present, to press forward and yet he reminded himself this was for his friends, for Artemis...

Artemis...

"The goddess of the moon."

…

"What the hell Rose." Artemis had her hands on the girl's shoulders, applying pressure to them, trying to bring the girl into reality. After having swam around the ocean in the dead of the night both were exhausted, and yet it wasn't the worst time in their lives. With all the torture of their childhoods, the arrows, the bullets, the poison, swimming for their lives was the normal child's equivalent of having a pool party.

"Look Kitty, I don't need to give you any explanations, I left and you tagged along so let's leave it at that, now where can we get food..." Rose wiggled her way out of Artemis's grip, acting as nonchalant as ever about the situation.

"Really Rose, really? Let's recap shall we? You stole a necklace from the terrorist organization known as the Light-"

"Hey it was a gift originally and I wouldn't call the Light a terrorist organization, more like naughty Darwins." She winked hoping Artemis would be amused by her reference and while Artemis felt the urge to laugh she resisted; the list of names of the Light alone was enough to keep her from falling for Rose's charm.

"Rash, Lex-"

"I get it, a bunch of baddies, who cares? We're assassins, the rogues... the antiheroes if you wanna get English about it." Rose laid down in the sand, there was no telling what country they were in but it was a quiet one, with way too much sand for either one's comfort. The coolness of the night would protect them for the next few hours, but by the time the sun rose they were in danger of heat stroke and dehydration.

"Just tell me why you did it, why you risked it all... why-"

"Why I defied him?" Rose's tone changed, from one of amoral humor to that of a woman speaking on a subject she was well experienced in. They both were aware of the repercussions of defying a father, a murderer no less. It was all the years of obedience, the conditioning, the terror of what every training brought, the carelessness of someone who was suppose to be their protector, their father... why would one ever disobey the father?

Artemis knew why.

_Because he's slowly killing you, your soul._

"You know, I can tell, that's why... that's why I had you come with me." Rose's pitch went up and her volume went down. She's pulled her knees to her chest and the white of her hair looked almost blonde under the moonlight. She had yet to find out why the girl's hair had changed color, had it not they would have been able to pass for sisters, especially with Rose's tan from her years in the sun, the sun and sand where she'd fought for the sake of all her father's whims, fought with steel and left with blood not her own.

"You didn't want to be alone." Artemis knelt down, half assuming Rose would try to stab her. When she didn't she placed her hand on the girl's head, wishing to tear off the necklace, to show her they were friends, and then to apologize for what Artemis believed to be her greatest mistake, not saving Rose when they were young.

"I'm a big girl but hey, the gray has to stick together right?" Artemis nodded. She left silence come between their words for a few moments as she thought of the mission, the mystery, of Wally and how much she missed him. Wally could make Rose smile, Wally could fix things, that was his forte, making others happy by just opening his mouth, sometimes not even that... usually an unexpected fall would do just fine.

"Why are you laughing kitty?" Rose pouted and Artemis rolled her eyes. She got off the ground and turned her face to the moon, it was almost full tonight and it was glorious to see the light, the very glow from it... a figure in the darkness illuminating the world.

"I'm laughing because the Light will come for us, for that necklace."

"Well I couldn't very well have let them have it, not with all this pretty little thing can do." Rose put her hand to her chin, the other clutching the necklace that had caused all the commotion, they wanted it back and she refused because she was well aware of what exactly the necklace meant, it's purpose. Of course she'd spent the last few months pretending she didn't , pretending she had no idea the power it held. With all her training, all her weapons, all the drugs her father had pumped into her system to make her the perfect soldier, to make her into the image of himself... a creature of the slaughter... all of the power he gave her was still controlled.

_I am his puppet...I was his puppet._

Once she was given the necklace there was a sense of will, of strength for it was she who had been trusted with something with so much power... it was freeing... and after all this time they expected her to hand it over, to give up the little piece of her life that was her own, no... this was her choice and yes she'd raised hell in making said choice but that was Rose, she loved causing hell for everyone.

"Rose... what does the necklace do?" Artemis was fixated on the moon, even more so as Rose drew near.

"I heard Savage say it belonged to a woman, she told stories... stories about a savior who'd come to bring the darkness... and this necklace here was the key, the power that'd stop them... didn't make much sense, I mean I'm no angel but what kind of savior brings darkness?" Rose fiddled with the necklace more and more, and each time she touched it Artemis felt her blood slow down a bit more. Her skin itched and soon she had her fingers around it, pulling it closer to take a look. The symbols... she could... read them...

_A ghost of a girl illuminated by the moon, may no harm come to her as the darkness takes the world._

"A Savior trying to stop the Light."


	7. The Moon & The Stars

"Have you located them yet Meg?" Wally asked, trying to lower the tremor in his voice as he sat in the same seat Artemis had sat in during the training mission that scared and bonded the original six... all those years ago. It was his choice, not to stand in the back but to take her seat, a perfect play right into the grieving boyfriend handbook... and yet it wasn't part of the act, not completely. He missed her, and with each day that passed he worried something had gone horribly wrong. Kaldur wasn't sending transmissions and Dick had only managed to send out a single message with latitude and longitude numbers, somewhere in the middle east that wasn't written on any map, the only words of the message were that Cassie wanted them there, she was leading to one spot because she was compelled to do so. That type of explanation scared the crap out of Wally.

The team, that being the veterans, gathered onto the bioship for what would inevitably be a headache for Wally in the end, were using their own powers to locate the mysterious destination.

M'gann had her mind trained on Dick's thoughts while Conner listened for their distinctive heartbeats, their voices as they spoke.

"They're near Wally." M'gann's voice was impassive, her face void of emotions. She'd turned into some sort of robot, pushing emotions out of her mind to avoid the pain that comes with the death of a loved one. She'd spent all evening preparing to find Cassie, Dick or both dead and she refused to cry, not with Artemis's death still so vivid, a cold gray body against the sand... sand was all she saw now.

"I don't like this." Conner had his hand pressed against the glass, listening intently but all he heard was silence. Silence in speech and expressions, little meant anything, all was numb and as they came closer and closer to where their comrades were suppose to be he grew angrier. Not the angry from his youth, youth being only a few years ago... he a freak that could not wear the scars of his short life, only feel them inside to go unnoticed. No, all that could be heard were the quickening breaths of those in the ship. The freshmen had been left in the cave, protested by each one, each stating their case from being annoyed at the idea of being left behind (Bart and Gar) to the cool logic of Tim's silver tongue. Their arguments were useless, with so much uncertainty everyone wanted to leave them behind, for measures of safety more so than anything else.

They couldn't lose anyone else today.

"Maybe I should scout ahead." It was the first time Raquel had spoken. All the time on the ship, twisting her foot against the floor had her thinking about her son and whether or not she was in the right going off to fight while he stayed with the nanny, Mia. Of course there was always the excuse of making the corrupted world a bit brighter, taking down the bad guys for the sake of her son's future... and still there was guilt for not being the soccer mom holding his hand, not being the mother who saw his first steps, heard his first word... it was the sacrifice she made for the dream that brought them all together.

_Together._

Raquel sighed as she looked around the ship from the stoic M'gann, once so sweet and bubbly, to the broken Conner holding to a purpose based solely on service. Without the team, he was nothing and she knew it, they all did but they did nothing about it because pointing it out would mean they'd let it get so bad... no one wanted to be responsible for suffering.

"We might as well land then." Wally was quiet, no trace of the boy and his charm, no, barely a man, barely human. That's what he feared, the constant nightmare of running so fast, passing everything, that he'd burn up and fade with nothing but his running shoes to tell the world he was here. So often he awoke from such a nightmare and always, always she was there to wipe the sweat from his brow, kiss his cheek and whisper words to quell the screams of all those he couldn't save.

This is what the team had become, this is what five years of battling the enemy, the never ending battle had done. To act so calm now as they searched for their team members... it was the epitome of the change that had come to pass.

Wally couldn't have it.

"We'll find them, everything will be okay." He said it without believing it and so no one else could believe it, not with all the loss, not with the reality of the fight so fresh in their minds from the "death" of Artemis.

"Wally, be rea- ah." M'gann let out a small moan, rubbing her forehead. Creases in her forehead began to form, a trait she'd picked up from her time with Marie Logan. Conner knew well it signified a headache and not an ordinary one; something, an outside source was trying to tap into her mind.

"M'gann?" Conner moved towards her but she raised her hand not wanting to cause a fuss and yet her skin shifted from a shade of green to white, her hair growing shorter until it was all gone and her eyes glowed red. There was an odd feel to the ship, that of a cold wind without the breeze, it grew as she stood, her lips thinning and her mouthing opening to a growl.

"M'gann, M'gann what's going on?" Conner prepared himself to take her down, having formed his own sense of responsibility over the martian's actions. He believed she'd grown out of her conscience and all that remained what vengeance that fueled all their actions... he was ready should she attempt something drastic... and yet her eyes returned to normal, the strands of hair fell back into place. All that had changed from a minute ago to now was her expression.

"What is it M'gann?" Wally asked staring ahead, half hoping M'gann was angry at him because beyond the setting sun was Artemis waiting for them and with that was the lie and also the end of the charade.

"It's him." M'gann said as the bottom of the ship opened and she lowered herself to a rapid dissent, "and her."

"Who!" They shouted but their question was answered the moment they looked up and saw Kaldur, along with the rest of the Light waiting for them.

* * *

"Why are we here?" Rose asked as she looked around the desert for shade. Her face was flustered, red cheeks and sticky white, wet hair slicked against her lips. She's stripped off the upper part of her armor, choosing to let it hang off her hips and every few seconds she'd reach for her swords to test her strength against the sand grains and cactuses. In other words, she was bored out of her skull and the only reprieve from the heat was slicing anything nearby.

"We're almost there,_ just hang on a little longer._" Artemis had no sense of direction, no idea of where she was headed only the urge to get there and that it was near. She could feel a burning in throat as the necklace tugged her closer to the edge of some force, some place where she was called to be. There were no explanations, no understandings only the need to move and quickly. There was a tugging of her skin, her feet's desire to step against one beat of sand to the other and with each step came a lighter feel in her chest but another weight to her heart. Both light and heavy, juxtaposed and framed on her face, one of anguish and confusion but also conviction.

"You're not who you appeared to be, are you?" Rose jumped in front of Artemis, waiting for her to answer, waiting to hear what she had believed all along from the moment she laid eyes on her. Sure the frame of the face was different, the olive skin gone, the gray darkened to a brown, near black and yet Rose knew, somewhere was the girl who'd held her hand as their fathers left them in the streets to do a job, a murder.

"I don't know what you mean." Artemis looked to the horizon where the sun melted into the Earth, soon the moon would come and then, only then she'd see where she needed to be.

"You know kitty, you know. _Purr, Purr the wicked cat goes but the kind kitten howls and wakes the moon._" Artemis looked over her shoulder to see Rose staring straight back, only this time she looked much more like the little girl Artemis had come to know as a child. Those words, the poem... an old family fable from her mother's side, her mother sung it to her as a child in Vietnamese. She'd sung it to Rose as they walked the streets of Gotham, miles and miles home. The same line over and over, over and over and Rose never once said "kitten" only "kitty" because it sounded sweeter.

"How?" Artemis removed her mask for the first time, touching the gold gem on her neck wondering if the spell wore off or if Rose was even savvier than she originally thought. It didn't matter now, they were traitors in the eyes of the Light and that thought comforted her. She and Rose some sort of makeshift team, a duo of misfits just as it should have been from the beginning. Above all, she was happy the lie was being put to rest, at least with Rose who she'd hope to befriend somehow... somehow in the end...

"Because of the necklace." Artemis began to pull the necklace the moment Rose spoke and yet she could not. In fact, it tightened around her neck; the light from the sun disappeared and all was blue and black. The reds and orange disintegrated, all that was left were the stars and moon calling her name, growing bigger amongst the night sky.

"_Goddess of the hunt and moon, the name of the messenger written in the sky by the mother of the night, and she shall come to know the savior in time, for she is the voice of the darkness._" Rose's own voice became higher, like that of a child, a child Artemis met years ago. Both frightened by the realization and thrown into deeper confusion, the puzzle pieces melted and she could now could see the truth that had been hidden years before. All the mystery, the secrets came down to just one secret of a girl with only one word for a voice. She needed another, not one bounded by the silence of death, the betrayal of a loved one cut so deep it cost a life.

_We were always meant to meet._

"G-greta?" Artemis coughed as she tried to ask, Rose having mumbled the word "secret" over and over with her hand reaching for Artemis's face. The sand around them swarmed into a wind that encircled their bodies and levitated them upwards higher and higher until Artemis's necklace cracked, the black of her hair turned to gold, her skin darkening to the old olive hue and the burn against the skin on her trachea soothed under the cold touch of Rose's hand, or rather Greta's... the ghost of a girl from her past...

"_It's time messenger, it's time to spread the word of the savior._"

* * *

"Explain to me what this book means again?" Zatanna and Jaime were flying the skies, a moment ago filled with the sun's rays and now a blanket of blackness in all corners. The two had left Kord's mansion an hour ago, having flown at full speed to the middle of nowhere carrying nothing but a book, or rather Zatanna clutched the brown book with the spine worn and the pages gray and dusted.

"The lost book of Beowulf Jaime, this is what the spectre was talking about." They landed in the sand; immediately she could feel the dark aura, similar to the spirits of the night she'd encountered as a child, the very darkness meant to stop the light, stop their plans to destroy the world to rebuild it, to kill all those unworthy of their egotically view for the future, that without flaws... _fools_

"Who?" From afar Jaime could hear the clash of a battle, those of fists against fist, the cut of air from a speedster's velocity and the screams equated with M'gann's fury. He stepped back, suddenly afraid for whatever laid ahead.

"The Who doesn't matter kid, but rather what he said, 'the savior cannot die by any means but age' and yet the savior, the one to save the world was murdered. That's why Artemis is more than the messenger, she's the vessel." Zatanna could hear the sounds of battle clear as day, her ears adjusting to the lack of objects for sound waves to vibrate against. No buildings or the like to cloud the noise, no only the blast of Raquel's hands and the frozen water, that of Kaldur's might against her friends, her team. It was followed by the sword of Slade, prepared to kill anyone who got in the way of finding his daughter, and the energy beams so similar to Jaime's that shot in their direction, Black Beetle as waiting for them.

"The vessel?"

"Yes it was so damn obvious," the nostalgia faded and what remained was her determination, she knew Artemis was close, as was Greta, the savior who was not supposed to die, but live to be the savior of the word with the help of her guard, her voice, the messenger of the moon, the symbol of darkness and light, the contradiction meant to save humanity from it's greatest villains.

"I should have known the moment Artemis told me Rose had white hair, it was the drain, the presence of a ghost, magic school 101, or rather the magic my father taught me. Greta was using rose as a vessel to get to Artemis, trying to find her again once the Spectre revealed she was the messenger." Within a second, Conner's body was flung to their feet, followed by Wally's. Both men were exhausted, blood dripping from their lips and eyes, their noses a flood of red and their arms bruised. Upon standing, Wally crumbled from the soaring pain of a broken rib. His green eyes glossed, detailed with red veins spreading closely to his pupils.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in the midst of a cough. Raquel was quick to follow, reaching for her team members while simultaneously blasting himself. Unscathed, the man laughed, snapping his fingers to bring forth the witchboy, in an instant he was at Savage's side wearing a wicked grin, his hands glowing red.

"Time to play!" Klarion shouted in genuine glee.

"Is that so?" Zatanna said with a matching grin, eyeing Klarion, happy to have a long awaited rematch. For all the years she'd blamed herself, losing her father to her own choices, there was a part of her that believed it was all Klarion's doing, the lord's madness that cost her a father, a family. The team was her family now, from Artemis her sister, to M'gann her mother and all the brothers and sisters in between, old and new, alive and dead, it was time for the price to be paid for all her mistakes with retribution...

"Let's go Klarion, ylf!" The sorceress shot into the sky with Klarion insuit, flashes of red and yellow beating at one another in a dancing array of colors, the only light in the sky as the the light of the stars beamed for one second more and disappeared. All was black and yet the sky illuminated by the supernatural. Below glowed red as well, but the light here came from M'gann's own eyes as she held her fingers to her temples, muttering the names of the fallen, ending with Marie.

"Really, you really want to kill me M'gann? Or better question, can you being the hero?" Queen Bee, left with only her tongue to save her was stranded on the ground with her legs sizzling over the heat M'gann created with her mind alone. It bubbled and burned, leaving the queen to gasp, rubbing the skin and regretted it instantly as it was raw.

"Scared yet?" Jaime watched as M'gann smiled, a brilliant, evil smile so close to that of a savage, to _the_ Savage... the turn of the folds in her face, the joy out of death, her hands bending into sharp knives and then the gasp of the queen herself, barely breathing from the clutch of an invisible hand at her throat.

"B-but you can't kill, the league would never allow it."

"I'm a big girl." M'gann mouthed as she tightened her grip.

"STOP!" Feet away Jaime's distress lessened at the sight of Cassie herself, hurdling her way to the martian, barging into her at full force and knocking her over entirely. Nestled on the ground where Cassie has just stood was Nightwing, having difficulty breathing.

"Artemis..." Dick whispered her name, a futile attempt to warn her despite the fact she was nowhere to be seen. All he could think was her body in a similar state to his, broken and bleeding lying helpless, and worse without anyone to hold her hand. The taste of her lips... the sleeping beauty she was all those years ago was the image on his eyelids, a fresh colored light and then blackness, fading in and out as Zatanna blasted Klarion into the Earth with yet another spell.

Above the dark angels warred, or rather the fallen angel and the demon. Klarion rising from the sand, brushing off his suit with a wink and a careless blast of dark matter aimed at Zatanna's heart.

"Artemis... goddess of the moon." Dick mouthed out the words in all the chaos, the prayer he tried to say for the girl he loved, the forbidden love he'd pushed out of his head in favor of her true soulmate, his best friend, Wally West who now wrapped his arm around Dick's waist to lift him up.

"They're looking for her." Wally said, more frightened over the possibility that the Light would succeed in taking Artemis than the pain writhering throughout his body. To their left the demi-goddess sent blow by blow to M'gann, shouting how out of control she was, not even taking the time to absorb the reality of the situation. She was beating a team member but with good reason. Cassie was the seer and as such she could see the future of M'gann clear as day, past all the impulse emotions and the buried memories, the power had come to the forefront and reminded her how dangerous M'gann was.

"Stop it!" M'gann opened her eyes and a cold gust of wind blew Cassie backwards, causing her to tumble into Kaldur himself who'd stood in between the minions of the Light and his team, the team ready to kill him had they only noticed him standing. But no, M'gann so preoccupied with old revenge and Conner attempting to stop her... each of his team had forgotten he was there, most had, with the exception of his father.

"She led us here, and now she's useless." His father said as he reached for Cassie's hair, pulling her neck back, ready to snap it should she move another inch. Of course to kill her was not his intent but rather the honor he wished to bestow upon his son, "what good is this oracle now." It was a simple statement, void of emotion as much as M'gann was over murder. It was clear to Kaldur and close behind was the panting of his old friend, M'gann...watching and waiting.

Around him, Kaldur could see Zatanna fall like a star against the sand, her head bleeding into the cole colored black hair and her red lips blue from the lack of air to her lungs. Her body convulsed from the dark magic seeping into her veins, flowing from limb to limb, somehow Klarion had gotten to her, one small spell to render Zatanna's powers useless.

All the henchmen of the Light, that of the Brain's, Queen Bee, Savage, Lex, Rash, Black Beetle, Slade and Kaldur's own father marched in straight lines to the few, the proud and still the weak. Their hearts filled with bullets with experience far too mature for their ages, even now. Kaldur could see and all of this, as if a stranger from the outside. Tula has said it was his gift and now he understood the act had gone horribly wrong. He was not the villain, he was the hero and no one took notice to it, so few denied the virtuous Kaldur could ever fall like a greek tragic hero and yet they were ready to end him, it was clear the moment M'gann laid eyes in him. Had Queen Bee not gotten in the way he'd be dead, or lobotomized with the rest of M'gann's victims.

"We have changed for the worse." Kaldur whispered as he reached for Cassie's own throat, mimicking M'gann. It was a calculated act, in hopes of being the reflection M'gann refused to see and yet she said nothing. She said nothing as Queen Bee slipped into unconsciousness or as Black Beetle moved to Jaime before being blasted by the scarab itself, the creature far more stronger than any being from the future for it was from the best. For all the scarab's talk of violence it was appalled by what it saw through Jaime's eyes and as Black Beetle fell to the ground muttering how could still win the fight, it wasn't over only to fall to the ground just as Queen Bee had, the scarab watched for what Kaldur would do next. Kaldur only had one option now, the truth.

"Father, I am a fraud... you must have known that, deep down I was not one of... you." Kaldur gestured to the others, and then turned to M'gann who promptly read his mind for the first time since his departure from the team. She gasped as the mission, the ploy... all of it was a lie.

"I...I don't care!" She shook her head, hands frantic, refusing to let the reality hit, her revenge, her desperate revenge against Kaldur entirely unjust... it meant that M'gann had crossed a line, all her hateful thoughts, all the fantasies of killing Kaldur, she had become a monster.

"That's not me." She said echoing the all too familiar words of Dick, all those years ago. He leaned into Wally, his own epiphany creeping onto his lips as he realized that despite all his efforts he and those around him had formed the shell his mentor carried, the barrier for all those who refuse to feel. It was why Wally left the team in the end, the nightmare of fading, of being forgotten because he had succrumbed to a hero's suffering... he couldn't have it and he couldn't let Artemis fall victim to it, he had to go... they both did.

"You disgust me!" Black Manta said, seething, unable to fully comprehend what his son was saying. He had been tricked and that would not do, not for a man like Black Manta who demanded the utmost respect, and refused to handle dishonesty in any sort of rational way.

"If you want to save this girl," he pulled at Cassie's neck, she squirmed but her footing was locked too deep in the sand to escape, "You'll have to kill me." There was no hesitation for the water in Kaldur's hand; it formed a sword, aimed at his father, prepared to strike, to stab just as he was meant to do with Artemis. For all his values and virtues, Kaldur had come to believe that with all the world believing he was capable of murder he might as well live up to the expectation...

"ENOUGH!" The voice so powerful and so old in a sense, quiet in bravado and all too thundering in the clashes between the heroes and the armies. With Dick around him, Wally turned his attention to the boy who'd spoken, Jaime Reyes, a man who stood between Cassie and Kaldur.

"We're not killers, we're not murderers, we're heroes." Jaime reached for Cassie, pulling her up and close to his chest all with his own intimidation, Black Manta himself shocked at the tone of Jaime's voice.

It wasn't a gesture of protection, no Jaime always believed Cassie was strong, stronger than he was. He held her close for the sake of reassurance. He turned to M'gann; the message was for her. The veterans, the heroes he believed in were falling to their knees around him. Broken in most or having lost their minds, he was ready to be the conscience just as he was for the scarab.

Conner watched the boy under the foot of a henchman, crushing his chest with the added pressure of a second leg against his body. He could see M'gann's lip quiver, and somehow became relieved by the sight, that M'gann was regaining her... for lack of a better term, humanity. He saw what she saw, Jaime standing between two villains without holding up a gun or the like, Jaime was the person they used to be... the memory of what they fought for.

It had all moved so quickly, from one piece to the other... and now another war but...it was meaningless... the fight was the purpose but the war itself weighed so little in the larger picture, at least in Jaime's eyes. He could see now, with the scarab whispering into his ear...

_I am destruction but I am not death, those who wield me, teach me and I evolve._

"This isn't where I'm suppose to be." On the way here, here being were the battle began, another piece to the war, Zatanna had told Jaime the the lost book of Beowulf, a story never told. In ancient times when the savior's fate was to be chosen and all those to follow in their footsteps there came a question as to how stop the savior for good is not meant to outweigh evil, they were meant to be equal and so it was the sword of Beowulf that was charmed to be the only force against the good less the good became too powerful, fall to corruption and the world be ruled by dark forces.

"You aren't going anywhere." Savage replied, smirking with his arms crossed, his boots making impressions in the sands he'd walked many times over the course of his immortal life. He looked so smug and oh so tall standing over Jaime's small figure, like a god looking down at a peasant.

"You're not taking him." Wally said, having sped by Jaime's side, Dick still over his shoulder. The old friends looked at one another, their eyes with a whisper of a laugh from the good old days of aster where there wasn't so much blood and nightmares... where they were closer to being kids.

"Stop me, I dare you." Savage said, followed by the laughter of Lex and Rash, all the members of the Light finding Wally's statement hilarious, all but Queen Bee who'd fainted from the pain of her legs, she would never walk again.

_Never._

The tears rolled off of her white cheeks and down to the the thin bones of her torso and arms. M'gann, finally allowing the emotion to reach her lungs, heart and the center of her being, that where the great philosophers said the spirit lied, screamed out in the night such an inhuman scream it reached the ears of someone of another being, one once human, one tunneled deep under the ground in the lair known by the savior as Ranvir, the gravesite of all the greatest heroes, the home to the savior.

_It is time._

Jaime had little time to say goodbye as his body phazed out of the air and soon it was by Artemis's side. The yellow necklace of Tigress was gone and what remained was one of circles and lines he could not make out. To her right glowed a young girl closer to his age... the assassin from the cave...

He couldn't question anything now; all he heard was the repetition of the scarab's words, to teach, to evolve... to destroy... to create. It was the creation he wished to be, Jaime Reyes, the hero who wasn't suppose to be, the hero with so little experience stepping into a dark tunnel as he followed Artemis and the girl with white hair deeper below.

In his native tongue he said a prayer for those above, and for his mother and sister, and lastly for Ted Kord. It was not a prayer for safety with , but rather a plea that even higher above the man watched and if so Jaime prayed the man would look out for him in the darkness, like a guardian angel

* * *

The smell of the dead filled each of their nostrils, the rotting corpses, the stench of flesh so odious the hairs in their noses burned. It had been sometime since anyone had arrived in the temple, now the tomb of the forgotten heroes. So long had the Light's ways roamed the world, that of good intentions... a facade for lies facilitated by the villains of this world tempting humanity with a bright future.

"All a lie." Artemis said, the first time she'd spoken since Greta revealed herself and brought her deep under the Earth for the final task. Zatanna had read the words, Cassie had brought the others above... and... and the pieces still did not fit. The messenger's role unfinished, the messenger was the voice for the savior and yet no message had been sent, no finality in the situation for Artemis, it was her clue that things were not at all what they seemed, not at all.

"What are we doing here?" Artemis asked, her face riddled with concern over Rose who was somehow pushed back into the recess of her mind in favor of Greta who could now speak. Her voice still so young, frozen in time by the cruel nature of her death.

"We're here to bring the darkness, goddess of the moon-"

"Yes I get it, I'm named after a goddess, what's the point, what message am I suppose to say, what am I suppose to do, what the hell is this darkness and how is it suppose to stop the Light? What the hell are they even planning?" By now, Artemis had lost her temper. She was never one for games and all the mystery had put Artemis at her wit's end.

"The story, the lost book of beowulf, that's what the Light wanted wasn't it? Not the sword to stop the savior but to trap them, they wanted the power... right?" Jaime tried to speak over the scrab shouting in his ear. He'd be glad to listen if only the scarab were speaking english, now all he heard were the rambles of an ancient alien language growing louder by the minute.

"Power? What power why?" Artemis moved her hand to the necklace, feeling drained by the weight of it, the string that held it wrapping tighter, pressing down on her skin. She repressed the urge to cough and in turning to stop herself from making the noise, Artemis caught sight of a stone, one single stone, large and round centered in the room inscribed with a language she could not speak, not with all the languages she knew, it wasn't even human.

"They call themselves the Light Artemis because the only thing that can stop them is the darkness, for what does darkness bring but silence for who should talk without a sight to see?" Rose's lips moved to the sound of a child, extending her hand for Artemis to take. The two walked closer to rock kneeling down; against the stone, Artemis could feel her legs weigh down as if made of lead, she fell slowly onto the strange lettering with her heart beating faster and faster, dizzying, blurring, confused.

"What... what now?" Artemis's stomach churned, the acids bubbly inside her system, the blood ceasing to flow, her eyes turning inside her school and the shine of her golden hair turned to a sickly ash.

_Something's not right._

"Don't be afraid Artemis. Let me tell you a story." Greta had Rose run her hands over Artemis's face, trying to keep her from passing out altogether, "There was a little girl named Greta who was not suppose to die." She pulled Artemis to her lap, wiping sweat off her cheeks as Jaime stepped closer, the scarab compelling him to do so, to reach out and help her as if he could mend her illness with one touch.

"But as you know Artemis, the world is cruel, and children die, they die often." By then, The scarab's speech has slowed, with Jaime's hand resting on Artemis's hand, her condition only worsened as the pain of her affliction pulled at her bones.

_Wally, I need you._

"She was killed for a reason, not for her brother's agenda, no that was the lie... she was killed to change the future Artemis, to distract a girl from fulfilling her destiny..." Rose, not Greta, moved a strand of hair from Artemis's face, tears of her own adding to the beads of sweat and she struggled to comfort her childhood protector with the strong spirit inside her soul. She hated being controlled, more than anything she wished to be free and yet... oddly... for a murderer she was more concerned over another human being.

"She wasn't supposed to stop Harm for the power he had was not suppose to be his. Artemis... was supposed to pout like any other teenage girl and go to a Halloween party where she'd bond with a boy." The armor surrounding Jaime's body slicked back into the beetle attached to the boy's spine. For the first time since plagued by the scarab's presence the creature let go, moving to Artemis, to the necklace she wore and breaking into pieces that matched the very lines and circles embedded in the pattern.

Jaime stepped back, listening, waiting but not for long. Soon Klarion had arrived along with the henchmen of the Light, just yards away, each blowing past the ancient walls and pillars of what the scarab had mumbled to be a holy sight, the scarab's second home, his first being the place where the savior's spirit was born, the spirit of a hero all those years ago.

"WE'RE COMING FOR YOU SCARAB!" Klarion called, only to be silenced by a fellow magical being, Zatanna.

"Not so fast master sass, ERIF!" With one word, Klarion and his minions were on fire, blinded by light, an irony not lost on Zatanna at all but her plan all along. Conner and M'gann swooped down in unison, together acting as a blockade from the entrance of the stone. Conner's strength pushed back further threats, punch by punch, knuckled blue and purple, eyes colored red from the broken blood vessels, he forced the Light's men back. For M'gann's part, she had released a wave of energy using her mind to knock the minions off their feet alone, not to scramble their thoughts but to stall long another for Kaldur to strike the flank by breaking a hole from the sand above.

"Now Kaldur!" Dick shouted as he kicked the roof of the tomb open. With Kaldur's water added to the sand, it turned to mud, drowning others underneath long enough for Wally to slip into the entrance, Raquel watching closely to guard his back as he ran to Artemis, terrified of what he saw.

"Artemis!" Beneath the mud was Slade, pushing the mud back with his own sword, calling his daughter's name, his property he was ready to take back for his own.

"Wally..."

"The story isn't finished Artemis... the boy... you... it was all suppose to happen then to bring the darkness that would save the world but with my death came the delay and so the present we know today is not the future that was suppose to be." Noises close by revealed just how little time they had to fix whatever it was that had to be fixed... that is to say what was broken, no one knew, how to stop the Light, momentarily paralyzed with the exception of Slade who was pushing his way passed the weakened Martian and clone..

"I'm suppose to speak now... right?" Cassie had been in the doorway, watching as Wally cradled Artemis in his hands, his eyes closed and his mouth moving. His fingers touched the lines of Artemis's hand, counting them, tracing them and with one motion, lifted them to his lips for a kiss.

There was were no words spoken, now the marching beat of Light's people coming closer to them, blasting past the team so tired, so bruised they could barely hang on, all fighting without answers but doing so for the sake of their friend who laid limp in Wally's arms. This, here with the knives pushed into their flesh, the cracked bones, the beatings from those not worn from the fight that defined them, their purpose and reminded them of what it was to be a hero.

"In the darkness they make their own light," Cassie said with her hands on her knees, trembling, "just as the moon does for the sky, but the moon is not alone for what would the moon be..." Cassie paused to breathe, Greta's spirit having passed from Rose's body and now hovered over them all to listen closely as Cassie finished it for them, the ending to the story.

"What would the moon be without the stars." She said falling to the ground, as did Jaime, Rose and all those around them for the oracle had spoken the missing piece to the tale. All time frozen, all time still Wally looked into Artemis's eyes kissing her forehead and nose just as he had done every night they shared a bed in hopes of making her smile.

"Arty-"

"Shut up kid, I have something to say." With all time still, the Light could not move but time was limited even when it ceased to go on, Artemis's heartbeat fading as the stone dissolved under her skin. She felt her heart being fused with the necklace, the scarab and an ache throughout her body, making her cave into herself. Still she reached for Wally's face, determined that in death and amidst all her confusion she'd state her one belief, something of a prayer to the boy she adored.

"I love you."

_The messenger has spoken._

Against the stone the two halves of the savior were united and with the three words, sincerest in death, the stone illuminated to a dark shade and then the room began to fade into darkness.

"Artemis...ARTEMIS!" Wally shouted as he felt his skin being ripped from his own body. Jumbled thoughts of why and how were fleeting and despite the immense pain, the blindness in the dark all Wally could think about was Artemis, the woman he loved. In the excruciating pain the final pieces came into view.

Wally was the_ savior_ and Artemis was his messenger solely for a cliched reason that had become very real, they couldn't live without the other... because they were two parts of the whole.

_Messenger and savior..._

"Artemis... Artemis." He called as the blood filled his lungs, pouring over his mouth and down his torso. The green in his eyes became a sickly yellow and the scorching of his inside needled it's way in and out of the holes in his bones, a hole forming inside of him.

"Artemis!" He coughed, wanting to know she was still alive, still breathing and that he hadn't failed her... for all the times she'd been there for him he wished that in his dying thought to know she'd be safe, it would be his only solace in the gruesome death sure to follow.

"I'm here Wally." Small hands, callused from years of pulling a bow's string gripped his own, a hole in her own body and soon a hole above them, its force lifting them up into the sky.

From within the scarab spoke to her,

_Artemis, goddess of the moon can only bring light with the stars that accompany her in the sky._

From the gaping holes within, light beamed in a translucent glow up into the hole above and with it came the bodies of the light, still frozen in form but aware of all that was happening. Each without the basic emotion of love, each without the understanding of darkness, not one knew the beauty of it.

_The darkness comes from tragedy and in that tragedy is the chance for redemption. _

"That's what humanity is." Wally said as he too could hear the scarab's words.

"Humanity is redemption." Artemis finished for him and with that the bodies of the Light, Black Beetle and Slade included were raised into the darkness, disappearing from sight and with that, the sun rose and time began again.

"It's over."

* * *

"Hey beautiful, wake up." Artemis opened her eyes to see Wally standing over her with a familiar scent of pancakes and detergent. The sheets covering her were of their bed, the ceiling stained with coffee, and by her side was Kent, listening closely to make sure she was breathing.

"Oh hell no, I'm not Alice." Artemis pushed the covers off running to the mirror searching for bruises she sustained in battle, her head no longer hurt from the fall in the cave nor did her throat burn. The tigress costume was gone, replaced instead by Wally's sweater and a pair of socks, one of her favorite forms of pajamas. It was as if nothing had happened.

"It did." Wally answered, putting his hands on her waist, moving one hand to her stomach and pressing down on it. It was tender, a strange tender spot as if she'd been healing from a giant gunshot wound.

"What happened." She asked turning to face him, her face far too serious for the bedroom, the place not only of their intimacy but also where they shared their childish pranks and challenges, their secrets.

"All I can say is when I woke up, the bad guys were gone... Rose was...gone and you wouldn't wake up, not at first." Artemis narrowed her eyes.

_Rose... gone?_

"We have to find her, Greta too... and Jaime... and Cassie how are they even doing with all this, how is anyone doing with all this!" She let go of him to pace across the room, her arms dug into the ends of her elbow as she shook her head in disbelief.

"We have to fix this Wally, we have to help them, find the others... I..." Wally sat down on the bed, hands against his knees in silence as he waited for Artemis to calm down. Of course she wanted answers, everything they did was for answers. Above everything else they could be sure the idea of them being a savior... together... to stop the light... and still unanswered questions as to what exactly it was to take the Light, where'd they gone... if the scarab was even still inside her...

"I'm sorry Artemis, Dick looked for Rose everywhere but she's gone, we can't find the Light either and Greta, I mean I hate to admit this being the science guy that I am but she's a ghost, we can't exactly track her." Wally shrugged, uncharacteristic of the new Wally, that is the one she'd come to know in the last few years, shaped by all their loss, the somber young man.

"You know I have to at least find Rose."

"I know, but first, can we just lay here, can we just... rest?" Wally leaned into the bed, rolling over to his side and patting the empty side with Artemis already walking towards him. She laid down, pushing her head into his shoulder and placing her hand to his chest. They curved into one another, Wally sighing and Artemis in tears.

"I have to tell my mom I'm alive Wally." She pushed her eyes against his body, rubbing them into his shirt hoping the pressure would relieve the throbbing.

"I know."

"I have to... I have to find her Wally."

_I can't abandon her again._

"I know."

"Is that all you can say?" She wasn't annoyed with him, she knew why he gave her the same two worded answer over and over again. He knew what she felt, of course being her other half... literally. Even so that was far more than she needed to know, the idea of someone being part of a whole was a bit too romantic for her taste and yet that's not what bothered her, there was something else about the whole situation that she couldn't let go.

"Rest beautiful, we're only _human_."

"I know but don't you ever think... at least with what we do that-"

"We're more than human? Yeah, yeah I do but listen Artemis," Wally kissed her cheeks and nose, running his finger over her lips to make her smile, "I love you, for now, let's just be that cheesy couple who says that's enough because... well it's-"

"More than enough, yeah, I love you Wally."

"I love you too, now go to sleep beautiful, it's time to rest."

_And with that, the moon laid to rest with the stars._

* * *

_**Well... that's the end of this arc :)**  
_

_**I do plan on writing another arc tied with this story for Rose but that's for another time... sorry for any grammar mistakes, I wrote this as fast as I could last night :C**_

_**Anyway, I tried really hard to portray the pain and suffering that comes with a hero and how much death and loss effects them. I don't believe death is something you move on from, it's something that changes you and shapes the person you're going to be so I tried to write that in the story, that and how all life experiences never leave you.**_


End file.
